The House of Red
by Mary Anne Gruen
Summary: Book length sequel to the movie. Wolf and Virginia and Tony find out the truth about the crimes in the House of Red.
1. Chapter 1

**THE HOUSE OF RED**by Mary Anne Gruen

Disclaimer: This is fanfiction, made just for fun for the fans of The 10th Kingdom. None of the characters from the original movie belongs to me. All the rest belong either to me, the Brothers Grimm, or to Mythology.

**CHAPTER ONE**

**The Uprising and Exodus**

Outside the palace of Queen Red Riding Hood the Third the crowds had gathered once again. And once again, the Queen tried to ignore them. Her attention was centered on several documents of state that her private secretary had brought for her to sign. The first time the crowd sang their song, she was able to block it out. But the second time, their voices seemed to shake the very rocks of the castle itself. They sang,

"Good King Wendell raised his hand,

And brought freedom to the land.

Said he in a voice so bold,

I will end this wrong of old.

"Write these words so all can see,

In the wolf is loyalty.

To his hearth and home and friend,

A wolf is loyal to the end.

"Proclaim his pardon far and near,

In this hero have no fear,

Write these words so all can see,

Give the wolf his liberty!"

"Give the wolf his liberty!" they sang again. This last line of the song was sung especially loud.

Queen Riding Hood clapped her hands to her ears, completely unconcerned with whether or not her red ringlets would be mussed. That goes to show you how upset she was, for she was a very vain woman. Today she was wearing a red velvet gown with a matching red velvet cap perched in the center of her red ringlets.

A growl of fury escaped her perfectly painted lips as she threw down her red feathered quill. She pushed back her ornate chair without noticing the rude noise it made as it scraped against the floor and strode to the partially open window. The crowd below was made up of humans, wolves and half-wolves, peasants all. No royalty would have dared mingled with such a crowd. They knew how angry it would have made their great monarch.

The Queen's face twisted in anger and she cursed under her breath. It was totally unladylike behavior for one who was always so aware of her position. But no one else was present just then. Besides, if the truth had been told, Red Riding Hood the Third wasn't always the most perfect of ladies, especially when she was angry.

"Who do they think they are?" she demanded to herself.

"Good King Wendell raised his hand," the crowd began again, "and brought freedom to the land."

The Queen slammed the stained glass window of her study closed, but still the sound invaded her room.

"Ichabod!" the Queen yelled, "**I C H A B O D!**"

The man who belonged to the name came rushing into the room. He was as tall and thin as a broomstick, with angular twig-like arms and legs. His nose was long with spectacles balanced precariously at the end of it. Ichabod was the Queen's private secretary. He'd joined her just after her coronation some twenty years before and over that time her impatient temper had made him rather a nervous man.

"Yes, your Majesty!" Ichabod said, bobbing his head up and down in multiple bows. "What can I do for you, your Majesty? Is something wrong?" He kept his face down as he rushed to her side. It wasn't uncommon for her to fling the occasional document or small object at him when she didn't find things to her liking. She wasn't a violent woman, mind you. Just spoiled and determined to have her own way. When things weren't perfect, she tended toward temper tantrums.

"What is that riff raff doing outside my castle?"

"Riff raff. You mean the um…wolves. Well, you told us to ignore them. That they'd get tired and go away in a couple of days."

"But they HAVEN'T!"

"No. They don't seem to have gone, your Majesty." Ichabod started bobbing up and down again. Moving targets were harder to hit.

"Well, I want them gone. NOW. Call out the guards and the soldiers. I want every last one of them jailed."

"But there's quite a crowd out there, your Majesty. I'm not sure the palace jail can hold all of them."

"Then find some other place to put them. I don't care where. And jail anyone else who dares to congregate on my parade grounds."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Queen Riding Hood pushed past her secretary, the rush of her long heavy skirts sending him into a slight spin. "And take a proclamation," she ordered.

Ichabod had pen and paper at the ready. The Queen was always dictating letters and had even just recently started on her autobiography, "Queen Riding Hood the Third, the SIXTH Great Woman of History." Already there were several chapters in it about wolves. "How to Keep Them in Their Proper Place of Subservience; Their History as Savages; and The Detestable Trend of Miscegenation or The Half-Wolf Phenomenon and its Lessening of the Human Race."

"Ready, your Majesty," Ichabod said.

"King Wendell isn't the only one who can make proclamations, you know."

"Of course not, your Majesty."

"How could he? Honoring two humans and a dog is one thing. But honoring a wolf is quite another."

"Indeed it is, your Majesty."

"Insolent pup. Didn't he know he was setting a precedent? Honor one wolf, and before long they'll all think they're worthy of it. They'll start thinking they're equal."

"Oh, your Majesty." Ichabod tried his best to look disgusted. "Equal?"

"Well, not in my kingdom. The Second Kingdom will NOT allow itself to be sullied. Issue a proclamation. To all my subjects, 1 - The curfew for wolves is to be expanded to ALL the hours from dusk till dawn. Any wolves found outside after that hour will be jailed immediately. 2 - Any group of wolves larger than three will be subject to immediate questioning and possible jail time. 3 - Wolf Permits are to be carried at all times and surrendered upon asking. 4 - Troops of Nightriders will be on hand to keep the peace. 5 - ALL wolves will be subject to these rules, purebred and otherwise."

"I have it, your Majesty."

"Good. Put it up as soon as you can. And get those dirty wolves out of my yard."

"Yes, your Majesty."

The reaction to Queen Red Riding Hood's proclamation was almost immediate. Her troops started cracking down hard on all the wolves in the Second Kingdom, checking permits extra closely, harassing families, and placing an unusually large number of wolves under arrest with very little reason. The wolves were tired of such persecution, especially when one of their own had just been named a hero. Through him respect was being given to all of them in many of the Nine Kingdoms.

And so the wolves started to fight back, which in turn created greater ire in the Queen. If the wolves hadn't turned their attention from revolution to exodus when they did, the Second Kingdom might very well have descended into a bloody civil war. But cooler heads prevailed.

"Let's go to the Fourth Kingdom, to King Wendell and Wolf the hero," the wolves said to one another. "We'll make a new home there."

Queen Riding Hood saw their caravans heading for the border and she shook her proud head of red hair. It was wound up the day they left in a silken snood decorated with diamond crystals. "Good!" she said to her secretary Ichabod. "Let them go. We don't need them. The Second Kingdom will be better off without them."

But if she'd had any sense, she would have called the wolves back and tried to make peace with them. If they'd stayed in her kingdom, most of what happened afterward would never have taken place.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

**There's No Place Like Home?**

It was the fourth day since Wolf and Virginia had come to Manhattan. So far it had turned into a sort of mini-honeymoon. They hadn't had much time to themselves since that afternoon they'd played hide and seek in the woods. It was a new experience to be alone and sharing a bed. Nights of passion, days of romance. Virginia had spent unknown hours since they'd arrived studying Wolf's face, memorizing the smile lines around his eyes, tracing the outline of his lips, and enjoying the quirky way he raised his left eyebrow. She listened to his breathing as he slept and lost herself in the sound of his heartbeat. Why had she fought him so long? This is where she belonged.

Their old apartment was the same, only different. Her dad had told her about his misadventures with the magic wishing bean Wolf had given him. The head of the co-op and his family were still acting as her Dad's devoted slaves.

The first morning after their arrival there had been a hesitant knock on the door. Wolf was still sleeping heavily so she'd answered it herself.

"Is the master in?" Mr. Murray, the head of the co-op asked. "I heard noises in here and I thought he might have returned.

"No," Virginia said, tightening her robe around her. "It's just me and my fiancé. Dad's still away."

"Oh," the man said, looking truly disappointed. "Well, when you see him, you will tell him about the job we've done fixing up his apartment."

Virginia, glanced back quickly into the room behind her. She'd only vaguely noticed the night before when they'd arrived. They'd had their minds on other things at that point and had just gone directly to her room. Now she realized how different things were. Most of the old furnishings were gone in the livingroom. There was a new couch and coffee table and an expensive new leather lounge chair. "Wow," she said.

"You think he'll like it?"

"How did you pay for all this?"

"The refrigerator. The old one that was in your apartment just before you went away, it seems to magically manufacture beer, already bottled. We tried taking the bottles out and stacking them around the apartment, but there just wasn't enough room. So we rented a warehouse for the refrigerator and my wife is working full time now as a beer supplier for the area. We're calling it, Magic Beer. People are buying it up like you wouldn't believe. And since we don't have any overhead except for licensing and of course the taxes, we're making a tidy profit for the master."

Virginia blinked hard. "You're kidding."

"Oh, no. I've been keeping all the books and depositing the money in the master's name and yours." He slipped an account book and a pile of bank statements through the door into Virginia's hands. "We've also been keeping the building in shape and filling the new refrigerator we bought him with food on a regular basis in case of the master's return."

Virginia gaped at the numbers on the bank statements. She couldn't believe how many zeros there were. "Well, that's fine," she said breathlessly.

"You think the master will approve?"

"Oh, I'm sure of it." As soon as her father returned from starting King Wendell off on his industrial revolution, he'd probably dive right into his new business as the owner of Magic Beer. She knew his tongue would fall out when he saw the profits. If she needed ammunition to lure him back from his new titled position in the Fourth Kingdom, this might do it. She was a little afraid that he might decide to stay on the other side of the magic travel mirror.

On this fourth morning since their arrival, Virginia told Wolf that she wanted to go out. "I really should visit the Grill in the park," she explained. "They're probably wondering what happened to me." She didn't add that she was also wondering if she wanted to go back to work there. So much had happened. So much had changed.

"Why don't we put it off till tomorrow," Wolf asked, pulling her back into bed.

"No," she said firmly. "We've _been_ putting it off. Besides, I've got to see my grandmother and tell her I'm all right. And I've got to tell her what happened to Mom. Not the whole story, of course. She wouldn't understand. But the important part."

"Oh, all right. If we must, we must. But I'd rather stay here," Wolf said nipping her playfully on the neck.

"The Grill has a nice brunch menu," Virginia said temptingly. "You could order something with lots of bacon."

"I'm up! I'm up!" Wolf said bouncing out of bed. "You don't have to ask me twice."

As it happened, Virginia's closest friend wasn't on duty yet. She didn't come in till the evening. But another young woman by the name of Amy recognized Virginia at once. She was a tiny blond with a dancer's body. As a matter of fact, she _was_ a dancer. But most of the jobs she'd gotten thus far in her short career had been on the road during the summer. When the weather got colder, she had to go back to waitressing at the Grill. Sometimes she worked nights, sometimes she worked days. Her schedule was always changing depending on when they needed her to cover or when she had an audition coming up.

"Hey, Girl!" Amy said giving Virginia a theatrical hug and kiss. "Where you been? Heard you just disappeared out of here. What happened?"

"It's a long story," Virginia said.

"A _very_ long story," Wolf echoed.

"I'm working section six," Amy whispered in Virginia's ear. "Get Old Man Herman to put you there."

Old Man Herman was the maitre d'. He'd been there almost since the beginning of time, a constant fixture on almost all shifts He was the Grill's private version of an old retainer. He had a winning servile smile for the customers and a special disapproving sneer for the waiters and waitresses.

"Oops. Here he comes," Amy said, tucking her tray under her arm and hightailing it back toward her station. She ducked into a corner and busily started filling water glasses, hoping Herman hadn't seen her.

"Good afternoon, Sir," Herman said, approaching Wolf with his supply of menus under his arm. His customer smile was in place and he looked up engagingly at Wolf. "Table for two?"

"Hi, Herman," Virginia said, peeking out from behind her fiance.

Herman winced at the voice and looked down from Wolf to Virginia. He was obviously not pleased with what he saw. "Missss Lewissss." He stressed all the s's in the two words each one dripping with poisonous disapproval. "I suppose you've come for your check."

"Not right now. First we've come to eat."

Wolf nodded vigorously. The smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen was calling to him.

"I see," Herman said. "You know we've replaced you."

"I thought you might have."

"We tried calling you at home."

"We've been away, out of the country."

The expression on Herman's face said that he couldn't imagine any country being foolish enough to allow her to cross its borders. After all, she was merely a passable waitress and was probably good for little else. "I see. Well, you might have given notice."

"It was a last minute kind of thing."

"You left during your shift."

"_Very_ last minute," Wolf put in.

Herman gave Wolf the same disapproving look he'd given Virginia the moment before. He assumed Wolf was Virginia's boyfriend. And in his book, the "significant others" of the wait staff were just as low as the wait staff, especially when they came in company with the wait staff or hung around the restaurant waiting for them to finish their shift.

"Very irresponsible," Herman said.

"Well, it couldn't be helped," Virginia said. "But don't worry, I won't be coming back. We'll just have lunch and then I'll pick up my check."

Herman sniffed.

"So just give us a couple of menus and we'll go sit in Amy's section."

Herman surrendered the menus and quickly turned back toward the door. A couple of businessmen were just coming in. As soon as he saw them, Old Man Herman's scowl turned into a servile smile.

"Did he give ya a hard time?" Amy asked as she brought two full glasses of water to Wolf and Virginia's table.

"He tried," Virginia said.

"But Virginia stood right up to him," Wolf said. "He may be an ogre, but he's not nearly as frightening as a troll. Does he own this place?"

"No, he just thinks he does," Virginia said. "I don't know why I ever put up with him and that attitude of his."

"Listen to you," Amy said. "When did you get so brave? You know if you wanna work here, you just gotta grin and bear it."

"Well, I don't work here anymore, so I don't have to put up with it."

A worried look crossed Amy's face. If Virginia wasn't gonna work there, where was she gonna work? The economy was supposed to be better, sure. But table waiting jobs at good places like the Grill went to men more often than not. It was supposed to be more classy to have men waiting on you than women. She knew Virginia would have a hard time finding another job where the tips were as good. It seemed best to change the subject. "So, tell me what happened," she said.

"It's a long story. Dad and I went out of the country for awhile."

"And she met me," Wolf put in.

"Yeah? So introduce us." Amy gave Wolf a good checking out. Evidently she liked what she saw, because her smile got broader.

"Amy, this is Wolf," Virginia said.

"Yeah? That's quite a name, Wolf."

"A pleasure," Wolf said politely.

"Yeah. Could be," Amy said, with a glint in her eye.

"We're engaged," Virginia said.

The light went out of Amy's eye. Just her luck. In her world all the good ones were either taken or gay. "And you two just met? That was fast."

"Not fast enough," Wolf said. "The first time I saw her creamy countenance I knew it was love."

"When ya gonna get married?"

"Soon as possible," Wolf said. "Today if you like. Who does weddings here?"

Virginia nudged Wolf's foot with her own. "My father's still out of the country. We'll wait till he gets back."

"Yeah? Well, let us know when the big day is. We'll throw you a shower or something."

"That would be nice," Virginia said.

"What a life! Travel, whirlwind romance. You got it made girl. Now what are you gonna eat?"

Wolf sat up sharply. "I'll have three bacon sandwiches with extra bacon on the side," he said eagerly.

Amy gave a tinkling little laugh. She thought he was joking. "OK, now. What do you _really_ want?"

Wolf looked confused. "Three bacon sandwiches with extra bacon on the side," he repeated.

It was Amy's turn to look confused.

"No, he really means it," Virginia said. "Where he comes from, that's a normal breakfast. Better bring him three extra orders of bacon on the side."

"That's a whole lotta cholesterol!" Amy said.

"Don't worry, he can handle it. As for me, I'll just have a salad."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," Wolf said grabbing both of his intended's hands. "In your condition you've got to have meat. I won't take no for an answer. Amy, she'll have a roast chicken with a salad on the side."

"But, Wolf, I don't want a whole chicken," Virginia said.

"Don't worry. Whatever you don't eat, I will."

Amy's eyebrows flew up into her wispy blond bangs. She thought this Wolf guy was pretty good looking but he really had some strange eating habits. How did he stay so thin eating like that? Maybe it was part of that new non-carb diet everybody was talking about. "OK," she said. "One roast chicken with a salad on the side and three bacon sandwiches with three extra orders of bacon on the side. What'd ya want to drink?"

"Water will be fine," Virginia said.

After Amy disappeared into the kitchen, Virginia turned to Wolf and said, "You aren't going to become the food police are you?"

"A growing cub needs meat," Wolf insisted. "Vegetables are fine, but you need protein."

"OK, OK. I guess this is something you know more about than I do."

"Good. So when are we getting married, my succulent love?"

"When Dad gets back. I'm not getting married without him."

"What if he stays there for months?" Wolf also had the feeling that Tony might decide to stay in the Nine Kingdoms permanently. But he didn't say that because he was afraid it might upset Virginia.

"We'll wait three weeks at least. If he's not back by then, we'll go ahead and get married. It's a good thing they don't require blood tests in the city anymore. There's no telling what yours might reveal."

Wolf looked away. A deep worried look flashed over his face.

"Really," Virginia said. She put her hand on his arm. He had his shirt cuffs rolled up so she could rub the dark hair on his forearm. "We won't wait any longer than that, I promise. Besides, we have to decide what we're going to do next. Are we going to depend on Magic Beer for our support or what?"

Wolf didn't have an answer. There was so much he didn't know about this new Kingdom. For one thing, he wondered why it didn't have more trees.

They ate their meal in near silence, with Wolf looking frequently out the window toward the park. Thoughtfulness didn't ruin his appetite, though. He ate his three sandwiches and extra bacon in record time and finished Virginia's roast chicken.

When they went out on the street again, the day had turned cloudy. Virginia shivered and Wolf turned the collar of her jacket up around her throat. "Are we going to your grandmother's next?" he asked.

"Yes. But you'd better wait for me downstairs. I don't want to think what her reaction will be when she sees you again. She's liable to call the police and have you arrested."

"I couldn't help it," Wolf said. "There was just something about her."

"Yeah, well, she's got a short memory. You can meet her sometime after we get married. Maybe like in two or three or twelve years."

"She reminded me a lot of the Evil Queen."

"Look. What you did, isn't as bad as what I did. I've just got to go and tell her Mom is dead. I owe them both that much."

Wolf rang his fingers gently over her face. "You're sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"No. I've got to do this by myself."

Wolf nodded. He understood, but he wished he could protect her.

Virginia knew her grandmother would be pretty excited by her sudden reappearance, so she was well prepared for the explosion of hysteria and hugs and kisses, followed by the long repetition of all the things she personally had suffered at the hands of that "horrid mad man" who'd forced his way into her apartment.

"I reported the whole thing to the police," Grandma said. "But they didn't come right away because they were all caught up with some big bank robber they'd cornered in the park that day. I've looked at simply thousands of mug shots, but I still haven't seen him. Someday, though, I'll see him. These criminals always return to the scene of the crime, you know. Next time I'll be ready for him. I've got a stun gun, don't you know. And I'll use it on him, don't think I won't. I didn't want to get a real gun. They're so heavy and unladylike. And there's always the chance it could go off accidentally and break something or put a hole in the wall and ruin my wallpaper. With a stun gun, you just press the button and stick it onto the person you're trying to defend yourself from. So much easier. And so much cleaner too." From there grandma went on into how difficult it would be to get blood stains out of her beige carpeting.

Virginia listened to her grandmother's plans for Wolf quietly, but she couldn't keep the horror out of her eyes. She'd never thought of her grandmother as a particularly bloodthirsty person. Strange, perhaps. Eccentric, certainly. But never bloodthirsty. She actually seemed to be enjoying this rundown of intended violence. Somehow Virginia would have to keep her from ever meeting Wolf.

"Your father might have called me and inquired as to how I was," Grandma said at last. "I called him for days and days, but there was no answer."

"We went out of the country."

"Just like that? Without even saying goodbye or checking up on me?"

"Yes, we got word about Mom's whereabouts."

"You found her!" Virginia's grandmother's clapped her hands excitedly. "She became a great lady didn't she? I knew that as soon as she got away from your father, she would do something really important with her life."

"Well, you might say she had some big plans. But, Grandma. I'm afraid I have bad news."

"Hmm?" Grandma had gone into an imaginary place where her daughter had become a great lady. She spun around the room clutching her white satin robe as if it were a ball gown.

"Grandma? Are you listening. I'm afraid I have bad news. Mom is dead."

Somehow the word "dead" got through to the older woman's fantasy. "What?" she asked, freezing in mid-dance.

Virginia put her arms around her grandmother, so she couldn't see her face. So she wouldn't see the truth in her eyes, that it had been her who had caused her mother's death.

"No," her grandmother said. A shudder racked her body and suddenly her full age fell upon her.

"It's true. Daddy and I found her and she died suddenly."

"Where is she?"

"She's in another country, far away."

"You didn't bring her body back with you?"

"No. We thought it best to bury her there."

The older woman pushed Virginia away with a coldness her granddaughter had never felt before. "You had no right to do that. She was my baby. I want her buried here."

"We can't do that."

"I don't believe you. I don't believe any of it. This is some plot of your father's."

"No, Grandma. She really is dead."

"I don't believe it. If I don't see her body, I just won't believe it. That father of yours, it's all his fault. He was always such a lowlife, almost subhuman. My Christine was just too _good_ for him."

There wasn't much Virginia could do. No matter what she said, her grandmother insisted it was some plot of her father's. She finally let herself out and returned to Wolf in the lobby. She didn't have to say anything, he'd sensed her feelings before she'd even come into view. He was waiting with his arms open for her. She snuggled in against his chest, her face lost in the folds of his shirt and cried, long racking sobs.

The wound was open again.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

**Lord Tony  
**

It was a bright and sunny day in the Fourth Kingdom and his lordship, the newly titled Anthony Lewis (Tony to his friends), was putting the final touches on his wardrobe. His clothes were sharp and expensive in tasteful shades of charcoal gray with bright touches of royal red at the corners of his cuffs and collar. His hair was perfectly in place and the skin on his face was smooth and touched with just the right amount of cologne.

It was now a week and a half since Virginia and Wolf had left and he had been heavily engaged in the task of bringing the Fourth Kingdom into the industrial age. He had a flock of assistants who fluttered about at his slightest command and a bevy of beautiful female admirers who laughed giddily at his every joke. On top of that, he felt as if he were actually doing something positive for himself and the world at large. Thanks to him, industry was at last coming to the Nine Kingdoms.

As he stepped out of his room, Tony was met by Lord Rupert, who'd no doubt been waiting several minutes for him to appear. Rupert had been assigned by the King to work as Tony's assistant. And he took his job very seriously. He may have been foppish, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that Lord Lewis's position was quickly becoming an important one in the Fourth Kingdom and that one day he might command great influence over the other eight. Lord Rupert hoped to have some of this prestige rub off on him.

"Good morning, Lord Lewis," Lord Rupert said with a deep dramatic bow that was so low, the large red sash that draped over his right shoulder, touched against the floor.

"Good morning," Tony said, a big smile on his face.

"And how is the Inventor to the King this morning?" Lord Rupert asked.

"Quite well. And how are things going with the cotton gin?"

A few days before, Tony had unveiled his first invention amidst great pomp to the King and his subjects. He'd gotten the idea because there were several fields of cotton growing just beyond the castle. It was harvest season and though cotton was prized for its lighter weight during the warmer months, everyone tended to wear wool most of the time because it was easier to handle.

Tony figured using the cotton gin would allow the cotton growers to prepare more cotton more quickly and bring some easy money into the coffers of the Fourth Kingdom. It was such an easy mechanism to build. It basically raked the cotton through small slots and took out the seed that would have taken the farmers a ridiculous amount of time to pick out by hand. Also, it could be run by using animal power.

"Oh," Lord Rupert exclaimed, reaching up excitedly into the air with his hands. The red sash flew up into his face this time. "It's wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Everyone is so excited. The cotton crop is being prepared for market in record time. The Fourth Kingdom will be the envy of everyone. Truly, you are a great inventor!" Lord Rupert bowed again.

"Oh, it was nothing," Tony said, beaming, "Just a little something I picked up. But don't let this little success go to your head. It's such a simple gadget, by next year everyone else in the Nine Kingdoms will be copying it. We need to move on to bigger and better things now."

"Yes, of course. What is your next great invention to be?"

"Well, I was kind of thinking of a steam generator. It seems to me this castle is going to get pretty cold this winter. Fireplaces just won't cut it. And it would be nice to have hot water without all the fuss and muss of heating it over cauldrons in the kitchen. We're going to build a nice big boiler in the cellar of the palace, just a simple fire-tube type."

"Yes. Of course. Steam. Fire-tube type."

"But we're going to be needing some metal tubing. I suppose you people haven't started making steel yet. So, we'll probably have to start with iron and copper."

"Iron, yes. The dwarves in the Ninth Kingdom would be the best suppliers for whatever metals you want. We'll go to the King at once and make our request. He can send word to the Dwarf King."

Lord Rupert led the way from the upper bedroom floors to the King's private office on the ground floor. As they came down the grand central staircase, Tony's eye was caught by the beautiful young blond whose company he'd enjoyed the night before at dinner, as well as for sometime afterwards. He shot her a rakish smile and blew her a kiss. She returned the airborne kiss and disappeared behind a pillar in a swish of blue silk.

Just past the ballroom, another young lady, this one in green with raven hair cascading over her left shoulder, sent Tony a wink. At once, he leapt to her side, leaving Lord Rupert to walk alone.

"Tonight, my dear?" Tony said, kissing the girl's soft white hand.

"Tonight," she said, "in the gardens."

"At eight?"

The girl giggled in answer and Tony kissed her pinkie delicately. It smelled like lilacs.

He would have loved to continue on to her other fingers but he knew he had duty elsewhere. "Till then, my dear," he said. And with a low bow that would have made Lord Rupert jealous, he continued his journey to the King's private office.

Rupert was waiting patiently in the hallway. He'd worked with Tony long enough now to know how easily he could be distracted by the fairer sex. In this case, he considered himself lucky that Tony had not taken much longer.

"Come in," the proper voice of the Chancellor said in answer to their knock.

King Wendell was standing at the open window of the office with his back to them, studying the courtyard with great intensity. The Chancellor was standing next to him.

"It's Lord Lewis," the Chancellor told the King.

"Ah, Anthony," King Wendell said, turning around at last. "How is the cotton gin working out?"

"Brilliantly, your Majesty!" Lord Rupert exclaimed. "The Fourth Kingdom is going to be the first to bring its cotton crop to market this year."

"Good, good." Once again Wendell's attention strayed toward the window.

"We've come to ask about ordering some metals from the Dwarf King in the Ninth Kingdom," Rupert said. "Lord Lewis's next project is a steam generator. He says he can make it so it will heat the castle during the winter months and even make large supplies of hot water."

"What?" the King said, still giving whatever was outside the window the largest amount of his attention. "Oh, splendid, splendid. We all get too many colds during the winter months."

Lord Rupert was obviously disappointed by the King's lack of enthusiasm. He thought the idea of a heated castle with gobs of hot water wonderful beyond all words. It meant he could wear stylish clothes right through the winter, instead of those endless layers that they usually wore that made one's figure look so lumpy and bumpy.

Tony saw Rupert's expression and tried to lessen it by saying, "The King has seen hot water plumbing and indoor heating in the kingdom where I came from. That's why he's not more excited."

"Oh," Rupert said.

"Is something wrong, your Majesty?" Tony asked.

"No more today than yesterday or the day before," Wendell said with a sigh."

Tony knew what he meant. "The wolves?"

"Two more caravans arrived from the Fifth Kingdom last night," the Chancellor said. "And we can't begin to guess how many have flowed in from Red Riding Hood's Kingdom. It just doesn't seem to stop."

"There are quite a few families staying in the forest just outside the castle," Wendell said. "Everyday a group of them comes here to inquire whether Wolf has returned."

Tony came to the window and looked out onto the courtyard. A group of wolves and part-wolves were approaching the castle in casual formation.

"By and large, they're a very orderly bunch. But the sudden flood of immigration is causing a strain. Not all of my subjects are as ready to welcome wolves as I am. And the winter months are coming. How will our new citizens find food? Most of them arrived here with very little."

The wolves had reached the great doors of the castle by then and were being greeted respectfully by the guards, who were used to seeing them at that time of day. King Wendell motioned to the Chancellor and he departed at once with a pile of official documents.

"We're just doing our best to help them find homes and settle in," Wendell continued when the Chancellor had gone.

"What do you tell them about Wolf?" Tony asked.

"We tell them he's gone to another kingdom far away and may not be coming back. But they still return, day after day, as if their need for their hero is so great that they just can't believe what we tell them. Sometimes I'm afraid it's all a tinderbox that may go up at any moment. And if it does, well, I don't want to bother Wolf and Virginia, but the time may come when we'll have to ask them to come back to help keep the peace."

"I'm sure they would."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

The King stopped talking, his eyes entirely focused on the group of wolves then talking with the Chancellor on the steps of the palace. The Chancellor was giving his pile of documents to the lead wolf, an old gray of considerable size, and explaining them one by one. At the rear of the group, standing among several part-wolves was a young woman with a brilliant mane of red hair that stood out magnificently above her simple brown peasant dress. She was younger than Virginia with very white skin and freckles. The King couldn't see the color of her eyes, but he often wondered about it. She always came with the group of wolves that visited the castle. The rest of the assemblage changed from day to day. But she was always present, standing quietly at the farthest end.

Wendell wondered who she was. She had to be part-wolf. Why else would she stand so solidly by them? But the human part of her was breathtakingly beautifully. Or, at least, so Wendell thought. He made a point of standing at the window to watch her everyday, her thick red hair blowing up behind her in the wind.

Still, he made no attempt to talk to her. He was afraid his attraction to her might be noticed. That was why he always sent his Chancellor out to talk to the wolves instead of seeing them himself. He'd formed a strong friendship with Wolf and come to think more highly of wolves as a whole. But involving himself romantically with one was quite another thing. Still, he couldn't help but stand by his window each day when she was expected, just to catch a glimpse of her.

Tony caught sight of the young girl too. But he thought of Virginia and suddenly realized how lonely he was for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**The Troll's Rise Again**

Relish the Troll King was gone but not forgotten. His people were alternately mourning him and gnashing their teeth for revenge. They had been routed from the Fourth Kingdom easily after their leader's murder, but only because they were confused at being left without his leadership.

Trolls are a very family oriented bunch and that's probably the only positive thing you can say about them. Relish was descended from a long line of great bloodthirsty troll kings, one of whom had been presented with the Third Kingdom after a savage war had made it obvious to the others that they had to do something for the trolls or suffer their constant warring. Given Relish's violent forefathers and the troll people's respect for family, it was certain they would look to Relish's three children for their new leadership. That is, if they moved quickly to show their dominance. Trolls don't follow wimps, no matter what their bloodline.

Relish's three children had escaped from Wendell's castle on the night of his coronation during the confusion that followed after the Evil Queen was killed. It took quite awhile for the party guests to come to their full selves and regain their propriety. And of course, King Wendell, had to explain over and over to them about the enchantment that had fallen upon him and the great danger they had all escaped thanks to his three friends.

By the time the guards were sent to check on the troll children, they were long gone. They weren't the best and the brightest, but they knew King Wendell wouldn't be real happy with them after they'd worked so closely with the Evil Queen. It seemed best to get out while they still had the chance.

Once back in their own kingdom, the troll children told their people how they had tried their best to avenge their father's murder, but had been turned back by a ferocious army bent on taking their lives as well and thus ending the succession of the Troll King. Since then, they'd been in quiet seclusion, alternately mourning the death of their father and fighting over the shoes and weapons he'd left behind.

They settled finally on dividing things equally between them, with just the occasional item being snuck out of one sibling's wooden box and put into another while the others weren't looking.

"That's the last of the important stuff," eldest brother Burly announced, throwing a pair of ancient sandals into his box. "Now we just have Dad's old collection of magic salves and powders and his extra leather laces. Since I'm the oldest, I claim the laces."

The younger two groaned, but didn't put up a fight. They'd both stolen several of the laces already while no one was looking and didn't consider the ones remaining to be all that exciting.

"I'll take the salves," Blabberwort, the middle child and only girl said.

"I'll take the powders," Bluebell, the youngest said.

"Done." Burly threw Blabberwort the circular silver container with the salves and Bluebell the rusted black container with its collection of powders in little leather sacks. The laces went into his own box, which he nailed shut. The others followed his example and nailed their boxes shut as well.

"So, what do we do now?" Bluebell asked.

"We'd better plan our next move," Blabberwort said. "Our people are getting restless. They're calling for revenge and if we don't give it to them soon, they'll kill us off and put in some military general as King instead."

"We can't let that happen," Burly said. "Dad would kill us. That is, if he weren't already dead."

"We've got to defend the House of the Troll King!" Blabberwort said.

"Yeah!" piped in Bluebell.

"King Wendell wouldn't even turn over our father's body to us for a decent burning," Blabberwort said.

"Yeah!" piped in Bluebell.

"And he wouldn't turn over his murderer either," Burly said.

"Just told us some fairy story about how the Evil Queen had killed him, when we all know it was that girl Virginia," Blabberwort said.

"Yeah!" piped in Bluebell.

"I say we call up the army and attack King Wendell's kingdom," Burly said.

"It's what Dad would want us to do," Blabberwort said.

"Yeah!" piped in Bluebell.

"But who's gonna lead?"

"I will," Burly said, wagging his shoulders and straightening to his full height. "I'm the oldest. I should be King."

"Oh, go suck an elf," Blabberwort said, "Dad always said you had more height than brains. I should lead."

"Who died and made you Queen?" Bluebell retorted.

One thing led to another and a scuffle started. Before long, all three were wheeling from the blows they'd delivered to one another.

"I don't think this is getting us anywhere," Burly said at last.

"Yeah," Blabberwort said. "At this rate, none of us will survive to be ruler."

"So, maybe we should unite into one deadly fighting machine," Bluebell said, raising his sword. "Are you with me?"

Burly and Blabberwort grimaced at each other, but raised their swords in the affirmative.

"OK," Bluebell said, "So we call the army and make plans for our assault on King Wendell's kingdom. It shouldn't take more than a few days to get everything ready."

"Yeah," Blabberwort said. "They're preoccupied now with all those new immigrants coming in. They won't be thinking about arming themselves for a war."

"By the time they realize what's happening," Burly said, "it'll be too late."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**The Ring's Warning**

It was three o'clock in the morning and Virginia and Wolf had been in Manhattan two weeks.

Wolf was sleeping soundly in the bedroom, doing this strange little growly snore. Virginia was sitting alone in the livingroom, curled up in the new leather recliner bought with Magic Beer money, holding an old sweatshirt of her father's.

During the last week and a half she and Wolf had done the whole Manhattan tourist thing. They'd gone to the Statue of Liberty and the top of the World Trade Center. They'd even gotten into one of those hot dance clubs where you need to dress unusual or be a celebrity in order to get in. In this case it had been Wolf's tail that had gained them entrance. They'd seen scores of movies. They'd gone to the museums. And Wolf had devoured an endless number of very rare steaks.

It had all been fun, but only to a point.

Virginia's unpleasant parting from the Grill, and her clash with her grandmother had left her feeling lost. Before her trip to the Nine Kingdoms, she'd dreamed of opening her own restaurant someday. The money from Magic Beer gave her the chance to do that now. But somehow, she wasn't interested in anything so mundane anymore. When she'd been running from trolls and murderous huntsmen, she'd wished deeply for her old quiet life. Now, in just two weeks time, she was already bored with it.

How do you go from a land of magic where you're a heroine, to a world of stark reality where you're very nearly invisible? Also, she was filled with fears for the future of her little wolf-child. How was he going to fit in on this side of the mirror?

And then there was Wolf. After their first week, he'd begun to act restless. The only time he seemed half way content was when they walked through Central Park.

"You've got so many beautiful castles here," he'd said. "Such beautiful lights. But so little space. Why don't they put in more trees?"

She remembered when they first met, how he'd said it was inhuman to put a wolf in a place where he couldn't bound and could only see a piece of the sky. Wasn't she putting him back in prison by expecting him to live in an apartment?

When Wolf hit his "time of the month" Virginia very wisely rented a car and drove them both up to the Adirondack mountains at the top of New York State. Wolf complained profusely about the four and a half-hour drive, but it was the right thing to do. There were tons of acres of forest up there. And when they arrived, he bounded out of the car as if he'd just been freed from prison again.

They hiked to one of the smaller peaks, where the Hudson River was said to have its source. She made camp by a small pond while he ran through the woods and hunted for deer. From the way he acted she thought he preferred hunting wild game over cornering chickens in a hen house. He was so invigorated by the challenge and talked heatedly of the excitement of the chase.

When dinner was done, they made love under the stars, with a passion even greater than any they'd enjoyed before. She fell asleep in exhaustion afterwards. But he returned to the woods and didn't come back till she'd just started cooking bacon for breakfast.

Without warning Wolf dived out of the woods and tackled her to the ground, making it quite obvious that he had his mind on things other than eating.

"What about breakfast?" she asked.

"Wolves do not live by bacon alone," he growled playfully in her ear.

It was the first time she'd ever known him to let bacon burn. But it didn't seem to bother him later. He ate it anyway with nary a complaint.

"So, what did you do last night?" she asked him as they ate.

"I met a bear, not far from our camp," he had said between bites. "I warned him not to get too close while you were sleeping. But he didn't want any trouble. He just moved on without a fight. I think he was scouting out spots to hibernate. I saw a bobcat too, chasing a rabbit down the mountain by a stream. And I smelled moose. I tracked it for awhile, but that's all. It takes more than one wolf to bring down a moose. I can't wait till our son is old enough to go hunting with me."

Virginia remembered his words and thoughtfully rubbed her stomach. It didn't seem that either Wolf or their son would like living permanently in Manhattan. And her? Well, truth be told, she wasn't quite sure where she belonged anymore either.

She walked over to the window and peered out into the night. The electric lights glowed on the other side of Central Park. Everything was quiet except for the occasional sound of a passing bus.

"Oh, Daddy," she said, putting her head in her hands, "What am I gonna do?"

That was when the magic singing ring on her finger began to hum.

When she'd first put the little engagement ring on her finger, she'd laughed at it. And then, it had started to annoy her because it commented on every little thing. But finally she'd realized that it was just lonely from being cooped up in a ring box for so long. In the last two weeks it had quieted down and they'd begun to get comfortable with each other. She even liked the little habit it had of humming them to sleep at night. And when she had been alone in the woods while Wolf hunted, it had been comforting to have it on her finger.

"Don't you know, it's time to roam,

If this is no longer home," the ring sang, lifting its little pearl head up.

"It seems to me, you cannot see,

which way is your destiny."

"You got that right," Virginia said.

"From the pain upon your face,

It seems to me, you're out of place.

Return to the mirror and you will find,

That home which you have left behind.

"It calls to you and if you're true,

You'll know just what you have to do.

There is a Queen there, proud and vain,

Her Kingdom she will not maintain.

"One by one, they will all fall,

Unless they hear your bugle call.

There are secrets from of old,

And its time they should be told."

"Another Queen?" Virginia said. "What is it with that place?"

But the ring wouldn't explain. It merely repeated,

"Don't you know, it's time to roam,

If this is no longer home."

"But we can't just go back," Virginia said sensibly, "Somebody has to be on the other side to turn the mirror on."

The ring sang again.

"If you hear, and now will start,

The magic then will do its part.

For though it's late, not all can sleep,

And to the mirror, down they'll creep."

"You mean somebody's there to let us back in?"

"If you hear, and now will start,

The magic then will do its part."

Virginia didn't wait to hear the song again. She ran into the bedroom and shook Wolf. "Wake up," she said. "We're going home."

"Hmm, what?" Wolf said, sleepily. He'd devoured an especially big rib roast the night before and it had made him very tired.

"We're going home," Virginia said.

"I thought we were home. Is it breakfast time?"

"No. We're going back to the Nine Kingdoms. You can have breakfast later. The ring says we've got to go now."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

**Return to the Nine Kingdoms**

It was almost four o'clock in the morning when Wolf and Virginia made their way into Central Park. It was very quiet with only a few vagrants stretched out sleeping on the occasional bench. At first they disagreed on where the entrance to the mirror was.

But Wolf said, "There's a trace of your scent left on these bushes. And it's not far from the bridge where we stood when we came over from the other side. I think this is it."

"But I don't see anything."

"You think the ring was wrong?"

A loud musical "Humph," came from the direction of Virginia's left hand.

"I think we've insulted it," Virginia said.

Wolf cocked his head to one side and sniffed again. "Should we wait?"

Virginia wrapped her coat tighter around her. It was a chilly fall night with just the hint of rain in the air. "We're here now, we might as well wait for a couple of minutes," she said.

Wolf nodded and pulled her closer to him to keep her warm.

But it wasn't a couple of minutes. Within a very few seconds, the spot in front of them started to shimmer.

"Look, someone turned the mirror on."

"The ring was right," Virginia said. She started to move toward the shimmering light, but Wolf pulled her back.

"No, no, no," he said. "We don't know who's on the other side. I should go first. You follow."

"OK. But I'm sure the ring wouldn't tell us to go if there were any immediate danger."

Wolf stood up to his full height to look more imposing and stepped through the mirror. When he came out the other side, he fell smack into Tony.

"What the?" Tony said, pushing him back. He'd just turned the mirror on and the last thing he expected was for somebody to come walking through.

Wolf was thrilled. "Tony!" he said. He broke out into an enormous grin and threw his arms around his future father-in-law, patting him vigorously on the back. "So good to see you! We've been great! How've you been?"

"Fine, fine," Tony said, with obvious irritation. "What did you mean by calling me 'Grandpa?'"

"Isn't it wonderful?" Wolf said, throwing his arms up in the air and then back around Tony again. He was too happy to notice Tony's irritation. "We're expecting a little bundle of joy!"

"A what? When?"

"Oh, not for awhile yet." Wolf pulled back and patted Tony's cheek, causing the older man to grimace further. "If I'm right and it's a boy, we'll name it after you."

Tony stiffened. It had been hard enough accepting Virginia's engagement to Wolf. But a baby? It was obvious that there'd been some hanky panky going on in the woods well before they'd gone back to Manhattan. Tony was one of those fathers who have a hard time thinking of their daughters as having a sex life. For a moment, he seriously considered strangling Wolf.

It was a lucky thing Virginia stepped through the mirror just when she did. "Daddy!" she exclaimed.

"Don't Daddy me," Tony said, pushing Wolf aside.

"I've just told him the good news," Wolf said. He grabbed Virginia's hand and swung her arm cheerfully. "He's so happy he's speechless."

"I'll bet," Virginia said. She brushed droplets of water off her jacket to keep from looking at her father.

"Let's celebrate!" Wolf said. "I'll go down to the kitchen and make us a great big breakfast." He kissed Virginia loudly on the cheek and went striding off, humming a nonsense tune, still totally oblivious to Tony's attitude.

Virginia and her father stood in silence for a moment. Then, Tony smoothed his satin paisley smoking jacket and turned off the mirror. The new lordly demeanor he'd been working so hard to cultivate had slipped somewhat and he was just Tony again. "Why didn't you tell me before you left?" he asked.

"I don't know," Virginia said, sticking her hands deeply into her jacket pockets. "I guess because I wanted you to get used to the idea of Wolf and I being engaged first."

"Well, I still haven't gotten used to it. But I've accepted it." It was Tony's turn to put his hands in his pockets now. "So. How do you feel about it?"

Virginia pursed her lips and her eyes started to redden. "To tell the truth, Daddy, I'm scared. I haven't told Wolf. I mean, I can't tell him because he's excited enough for both of us. But I keep remembering Mom's last words to me, how she said I was an accident over and over again. And now, here I am. This pregnancy isn't exactly planned either. I'm just afraid, that maybe I could end up being like her."

"Oh, Honey." Tony took his daughter into his arms and smoothed back her hair. "There's a difference between a surprise and an accident. And as far as I'm concerned, you were a very happy surprise. Being a parent can be a frightening sometimes. I know because I was terrified when you were born. Was I going to be a good father? Would I give you all the things you needed? I know I wasn't the best dad in the world. But I tried. And I think you turned out pretty well. One thing about Wolf, he's got excellent taste. I promise you, you won't be anything like your mother. You'll just learn everything you need to know day by day." He kissed her gently on the top of the head. "And if you need any advice, you can always come to me."

Virginia sniffed and wiped her face. She hadn't meant to cry. It's just that she'd tried so hard not to let Wolf see how she felt.

Tony pulled back and looked at her. "How have you been feeling? Have you seen a doctor?"

"In Manhattan?" Virginia laughed and pulled a tissue out of her jacket pocket. "What if they wanted to do a sonogram and saw a tail? How do I explain that?"

"Well, from what I hear, Wendell's got a pretty good private physician. Maybe you should see him."

"Maybe."

"You don't look like you've put on any weight yet."

"No. Which is surprising considering how much I've been eating. I've been getting all these cravings for meat. It started coming on slowly. And now, I'm eating almost as much as Wolf. Well, maybe not quite as much as that. But I'm coming in a close second."

"Any morning sickness?"

"Nope, just hunger. Wolf keeps telling me that growing cubs need meat. Speaking of which, do you think we could go down to breakfast? All this talk of food has suddenly made me hungry."

"Sure," Tony said, putting his arm around her.

For the first time, she noticed his elegant and expensive ensemble. This wasn't at all how her father used to dress. There had obviously been some changes made. She felt almost dowdy in her jeans and light sweater top. "That's a pretty fancy smoking jacket you've got there," she said, "And those blue pajamas, are they silk?"

By the time they got downstairs, Wolf was serving steak and eggs with several glasses of warm milk. "Ah!" he said, "Just in time. Sit down right there." He waved vigorously at the table in the center of the room, where he'd tossed his jacket over one of the chairs. It was already laid out with eating utensils, several napkins, bread, and butter.

Tony was amazed at the amount of food Wolf put in front of Virginia. He was even more surprised when she ate it all. She'd always had such a small appetite.

"So, Dad," Virginia said, "how come you had the mirror on?"

"I was thinking about you. I've been wondering how you were doing and turning on the mirror made me feel closer to you. How did you two wind up there at the same time?"

"Oh, Virginia's engagement ring gave her this cryptic message," Wolf said. "All about how some dire happenings were about to happen and we needed to be here."

"Really?"

"So, what's dire?" Virginia asked.

"Well, nothing that I know of. Except maybe that Wolf's turned into a big hero around here."

Wolf's head snapped up from his plate. "Really? That doesn't sound dire."

"Unfortunately, not everybody in the Nine Kingdoms is happy about your fame." Tony told them about Queen Riding Hood's counter proclamation and the flood of wolves moving into the Fourth Kingdom. "There's this party of wolves that comes to the castle every morning asking for you. They'll be thrilled when they hear you're back."

"Thrilled?" Wolf's face screwed up in uncertainty. "I wonder if I'll like being a celebrity."

"The only other news is that I've been named Inventor to the King."

"Sounds important," Virginia said, pulling off another chunk of sourdough from the big loaf in the center of the table and adding a large slab of butter to it.

"Oh, it is. I've also been named a Lord."

"Really?" Wolf said, "I never thought I'd marry into royalty."

"What have you been inventing?"

"Well, the first week I was here I invented the cotton gin."

"You're kidding," Virginia said, stopping in mid-bite.

"What's a cotton gin?" Wolf asked, barely stopping before he slurped up his fifth egg.

"It's this machine that takes the seeds out of cotton," Virginia answered.

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Except I learned about it in school. It was really invented by this guy named Eli Whitney about two hundred years ago. You're an old fraud, Dad."

"But it hasn't been invented here," Wolf said. "Sounds like a useful gadget."

"See," Tony said.

"You're still a fraud. What did you invent next?"

"Well, I'm working on a boiler for the castle. You know, so we can have central heating and lots of hot water."

"Excellent!" Wolf said, gnawing on his steak bone. "Hot water is something I really liked about the land of Manhattan. And when the baby comes, we won't have to worry about him being cold."

"It'll be spring when the baby comes," Virginia said. "So it won't be cold anyway."

"You know, you could manage to show a little appreciation for your old man," Tony said, "After all, I've finally been able to put all that experience I had as a janitor to good use."

"Oh. About your being a janitor. Murray and his family are still acting as your devoted slaves."

"Really?"

Virginia told him about Magic Beer and its lengthy ledger of profits.

"Really?" Tony said again. But his eyes didn't sparkle the way they would have back before they'd come to the Nine Kingdoms.

"You're not planning to go back, are you?" Virginia asked. "To Manhattan, I mean."

"Why should I? I'm a national hero here. I've got plenty of money and I'm doing good work. All I was missing was family. And now, with you and Wolf here, I've got that too. Why should I leave?" He threw his napkin over his plate. "Actually, I should be asking why you decided to come back. You're the one who was so determined to leave. Is it just because of what your ring said?"

"Well, not entirely." Virginia told him about her run-in with her grandmother and her general malaise on the other side.

"I'm glad you decided to return," Tony said. Being a Lord was fun, but he'd missed his daughter terribly. Maybe he'd even missed Wolf.

Wolf pushed back his plate with a grand gesture and said, "Now that we're all together, we ought to plan the wedding. How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Virginia said.

"You'd rather today?"

"I'd rather catch my breath. We just got here."

"But you said you wanted to wait till you were back with your father. Well, you are. So, why wait?"

"But tomorrow? There's no time to plan."

"So, we'll have a simple wedding. Come on. At this rate, our son will be presenting us with grandchildren before we say 'I do.'"

"All right, all right. I know when I'm licked. Tomorrow it is."

"Good. We'll start right planning away. Who should I see about the preparations?"

"Actually," Tony said, "I have just the man. He's probably looking for me right now, in fact. You remember him. Lord Rupert? He planned the King's coronation."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**All Hail the Hero**

Lord Rupert was absolutely thrilled to help Wolf plan the wedding. In fact, the short time schedule only seemed to increase the excitement for him. He was literally bouncing off walls, dashing madly up and down the hallways of the castle with Wolf chasing behind.

They talked to the head chef first and then organized teams of butlers and maids to decorate the main ballroom. Lord Rupert insisted that pink and white should be the central colors, with just the occasional touch of black for formality. For the wedding feast, there would be lamb. And damask roses were to decorate the tables. The three tiered wedding cake design was based on the cake Wolf and Virginia had missed out on tasting during their first date in Kissing Town, light pink icing with dark pink hearts all around.

As for the invitations, there was no time to mail out formal ones. So, several butlers were sent out to contact the wedding guests directly. "Don't allow anyone to put you off," Lord Rupert commanded. "I need to know exactly how many people are coming by dinner time tonight."

While Wolf and Lord Rupert were running from the kitchen to the second floor, they passed King Wendell coming down. He was looking very tall and stately in his black suit with the gold braid and gold epaulets. Of course, he wasn't wearing his crown. That was only for official ceremonies.

"Your Majesty," Lord Rupert said perfunctorily as he dashed around the corner, a blurry vision of dark purple.

Wolf, however, stopped to give his old friend a more proper bow. "Your Majesty," Wolf said, panting. He was actually glad to stop. Lord Rupert moved so quickly, he was beginning to wonder if he was part wolf.

"Ah, Wolf," Wendell said. "I heard you were back. Why are you and Lord Rupert running about?"

"Virginia and I are getting married tomorrow. I wonder if you'd like to be my best man?"

"Indeed?" Life was funny. A little over a month ago, Wendell wouldn't have wanted to be in the same room with Wolf. Now, he was being asked to be his best man. "I'd be honored."

"Got to go now," Wolf said, readying himself for a sprint. "We're seeing about changing the drapes in the ballroom."

"I say, did Tony tell you there's a group of wolves that comes to see you every day?"

"Oh, yes he did. But he didn't say what time."

"About ten o'clock. I'll have the Chancellor let you know when they arrive."

"All right," Wolf said, dashing off in the same direction Lord Rupert had disappeared moments before.

At ten o'clock, however, there wasn't just a handful of wolves waiting out in the courtyard. There was a crowd. The word of Wolf's return had gotten out and most of the wolves staying in the woods bordering King Wendell's castle had come to see their hero and hear him speak.

King Wendell sent the Chancellor to fetch Wolf, while he watched the event from his office window. As usual the girl with the red hair was present. This time she was off to the side near the front, once again wearing her simple brown peasant dress. "That outfit doesn't do her justice," the King said to himself. "She should be wearing silk and satin in shades of green."

Wolf was amazed at the crowd. In fact, he wasn't sure that he wanted to go out and see them. The last time he'd encountered such a mob had been in Little Lamb Village when they'd falsely accused him of murder and tried to burn him. "You go first," he told the Chancellor.

"As you like," the Chancellor said. He was used to dealing with crowds. He cleared his throat and said in a loud voice, "As you've all heard, Mr. Wolf and his fiancée have returned today. He's waiting to say a few words to you now."

Wolf came out timidly and hid behind the Chancellor. "But I don't know how to make speeches," he whispered.

"Then just mingle. The public likes mingling."

When Wolf stepped out, he was immediately greeted by a series of howls that grew in volume till it reached an ear piercing crescendo. He was startled by it at first and almost fled back into the castle. But the Chancellor gave him a little nudge of encouragement. There was nothing to do but gingerly step into the crowd.

Virginia and her father heard the wolves calling all the way in back of the castle. They were inspecting Tony's workshop and his legions of helpers. Tony was enjoying showing off to his daughter. But Virginia was a bit bored.

"What's that?" she asked.

"It sounds like Wolf's fan club. Maybe we should go see."

By the time they got to the courtyard, Wolf had gotten a little more comfortable. He was shaking the hands of part-wolves and bowing formally to the full blooded wolves, saying 'Thank you' over and over again to the many words of praise that everyone was heaping upon him.

He tried to repeat names at first, but it just became too much to take in, a blur of unfamiliar hands and snouts. Yet everyone seemed to know him and idolize him. It was more than he could take in.

Finally, the red headed girl made her way to the front. She grasped his hand as another man to Wolf's right was talking. Wolf gave the girl a slight smile and turned back to listen to the man. All of a sudden his head snapped around again.

Wolf sniffed. "Rose?" he said, incredulously, "Rose? Is that you?"

The girl smiled and nodded.

With a cry of joy, he grabbed her and swung her up into the air.

Virginia and Tony arrived just in time to see this display. Virginia's eyes narrowed when she saw her fiancé embracing a strange woman. With a strength born of jealousy, she pushed the throng aside and presented herself for an explanation.

"Virginia!" Wolf exclaimed, putting the girl down. "This is my little sister Rose. I thought she was dead, along with my brothers."

"Rose, this is Virginia, the love of my life!"


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**Reunion**

Wolf made quick good-byes to the crowd in the courtyard. Then, he herded Virginia and Rose into the castle with Tony following behind.

"I can't believe it!" Wolf said, to his sister once they were in the grand entryway. "I just can't believe it. I thought you were dead. Was I wrong about Wilhelm and Lazar too?"

"No. Wilhelm was killed as a poacher. And Lazar was hung for showing interest in a human girl."

"Oh," Wolf said, looking down. That might have been him if Virginia hadn't had such a liberal minded father. Tony had never been really happy about his interest in Virginia, but at least he'd never tried to hang him for it.

"I heard you were jailed for sheep poaching," Rose said. "And I'm afraid to admit I was happy about it. I thought you'd be safer in Snow White Memorial Prison."

"I don't know about that. It's not as if you meet a high class of people there. That's where I met the Evil Queen."

"And became a hero, for all of us."

"Well, I don't know about that. Things just sort of happened."

They were interrupted at that point by King Wendell. He'd seen the whole interplay between Wolf and the beautiful red headed girl from his window and just couldn't help himself. He had to come and find out who she was. "That was quite a reception," Wendell said, "I think Queen Riding Hood probably heard that cheer they gave you all the way to the Second Kingdom."

"Yeah. Can you believe it?" Wolf said, "I'm a hero."

"And who is this lovely lady?" Wendell asked, striding up to her side.

"Oh, forgive me. Wendy, this is my sister Rose. Rose, this is King Wendell."

Wendell clicked his heals dramatically and bowed low from the waist. "Charmed."

"Oh, and I didn't properly introduce my future father-in-law," Wolf continued, "Rose, this is Lord Tony Lewis, Inventor to the King."

"Rose," Tony said politely. It hadn't occurred to him before that he might end up with wolf in-laws and he wasn't sure how he felt about it yet.

"Your Majesty," Wolf said, "I hope you won't mind if my sister stays here in the castle with us."

Wendell didn't answer. He was gazing too hard into Rose's face, admiring the play of freckles across her face. As for her eyes, he hadn't been able to see what color they were before. They were intoxicating. It was hard for him to concentrate on anything else.

Wolf exchanged glances with Virginia. "Wendy? Did you hear me?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about, uh, the price of, uh, corn in the northern most corner of my kingdom."

"I'll bet," Tony said under his breath. He'd seen that look before. Wendell was looking at Rose the same way Wolf had looked at Virginia's picture the first time he'd caught sight of it. Except in this case, Wendell didn't howl.

"The price of corn has been beastly high," Wendell continued. And people are having trouble buying it. And what with winter coming on, well, it's a necessity, don't you know. Corn is used to make meal."

Rose nodded and looked at Wendell strangely.

"Wendy," Wolf asked again, "do you mind if my sister stays in the castle with us?"

"Mind? I should say not. I mean, of course not. And we must feed her a good lunch too. I'll have the chef prepare something special. After all, Miss Rose has been living in the woods. It's time she had a good meal. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some affairs to attend to. I mean, affairs of state." Wendell clicked his heels again and fled for his office. It was awful. He'd been every bit as out of control as he'd been afraid he would be. That could never happen again.

"Are you hungry?" Virginia asked Rose.

"Well, I haven't had any breakfast. So, I really wouldn't mind.

"No breakfast!" Wolf exclaimed. "We can't have that. Right this way and we'll fix that immediately."

"I'm afraid I can't come," Tony said. "I sort of have a date."

"A date?" Virginia said in surprise.

"Just a little teeny one."

"Someone special?"

Tony started to say, "Oh, yeah," but stopped himself. "She's a friend."

"You could bring her along. I'd like to meet her."

Tony shifted his feet in discomfort. He hadn't exactly been planning the kind of date you brought your daughter along on. Still, it was Virginia's first day back and he didn't want to say no. Also he was curious to hear more about Wolf's sister. "Well, I'll go ask her," he said, "You run along and we'll join you in a bit."

By the time they got to the dining room, the wait staff had already been alerted by the King. A small table was being readied in the corner with four chairs and a fresh new tablecloth covered with some of the best silver the castle had to offer.

"This is nice," Virginia told the waiter. "But we'll need one more place-setting.

"Certainly, Miss," the waiter said.

"Excellent," Wolf said, "Rose, you're just in time for our wedding. We're getting married tomorrow. You can help Virginia get ready and even be her maid of honor."

"Oh, yes. I'd love it," Virginia said. "Wolf never talks much about his family."

Wolf's eyes shifted nervously and he took a big gulp of water.

"Some of our childhood wasn't pleasant," Rose said.

Virginia remembered how wolf had once told her about his parents being burned by farmers, back during their trip through Little Lamb Village. It had been her first experience with Wolf during the full moon. And he had talked about his parents dying with such pain and anger that she never dared bring it up again. But it was hard not to. Another time while they were in New York, he'd talked about his parents again, describing them as old and fat this time. And he said they'd died basically of a sedentary life and an obsessive hatred for humans. But that didn't make sense. They sounded like full-blooded wolves. How could that be? In order for him to be half-wolf, he had to have one human parent. She was hungry to learn more. "How did you all lose touch with each other?" she asked.

"Our real parents died when we were very young," Rose said. "And we were raised separately after that."

"Oh," Virginia said. That explained a lot. There were two sets of parents then.

"Rose and Lazar looked exactly like our mother," Wolf said. "She was human, with red hair and a light complexion. Wilhelm and I both had the dark coloring of our wolf father."

"Did Wolf tell you that we're rumored to be descended from Red Riding Hood?"

"What?" Virginia was shocked. She looked first at Wolf and then at Rose. "You're kidding!"

"Huff-puff!" Wolf said, "That's just a silly rumor." He didn't believe it for a minute. But he had fantasized about it after his real parents were gone. When the other children picked on him and treated him like an outcast, it was fun to pretend that he was secretly a prince. "Everyone knows Red Riding Hood the First only had one daughter, who was born several years after she was married. Her name was Ruby originally. Before the Red family got seriously committed to the color red, they used to name their children after gemstones. Red Riding Hood the First's real name was supposed to have been something like Pearl. When Ruby ascended the throne, she took her mother's popular name. And she also had only one daughter, the present Queen Riding Hood. My foster parents told me that rumor was just a story people thought up. You know, because there weren't a lot of half-wolves like us in the Second Kingdom when we were young. So, people got to thinking how ironic it would be if Red Riding Hood had half-wolf descendents."

"Well, my foster parents swore it was true," Rose said. There was assurance in her voice and green eyes. She believed it just as much as Wolf didn't. "I was brought up by friends of our father, you know."

Wolf growled. "And my foster parents were friends of our grandfather's. It's ridiculous! Everybody knows Red Riding Hood and her family have always hated wolves more than anybody else. They still do."

"So, what happened to your real parents?" Virginia asked carefully.

"They were burned for poaching," Rose said.

"How horrible."

Rose nodded solemnly. "But my foster parents insisted they were innocent."

Wolf said nothing. He just looked down pointedly at the table. His appetite had suddenly disappeared.

"My brothers and I were immediately divided up," Rose went on, "Wolf went to friends of our grandfather's, who were both pure-blooded wolves. Wilhelm and Lazar were adopted by the gypsies because they like having wolf blood in their families. They think it gives them cunning and strength and makes strangers fear them. Unfortunately, living with the gypsies didn't do much for our brothers."

"And so, no one kept in touch with anybody," Virginia said. "I guess you wouldn't have been able to."

"My foster parents tried to keep in touch with my brothers but weren't able to. The gypsy band that had Wilhelm and Lazar went to another kingdom. It wasn't till after I reached adulthood that I was able to find out what happened to them. As for Wolf's foster parents, they refused to have anything to do with mine. I think they wanted Wolf, as the oldest son, to carry out the revenge of our grandfather. They were afraid my foster parents might try to talk him out of it."

"What revenge is that?" Virginia said.

They paused for a moment as the waiter brought their lunches. Additional plates were laid down for Tony and his lady friend, but they still hadn't arrived.

"Didn't Wolf tell you?" Rose asked.

Wolf shut his eyes, dreading the inevitable. This was the one thing he'd never wanted Virginia to know. Cripes. Rose had always been too honest. Even when she'd been a cub, she refused to tell the littlest of white lies. Couldn't she at least have waited until after they were safely married to tell this to Virginia?

"We're direct descendants of Aesophocles," Rose said.

"Who?"

"You know. The gray wolf that tried to kill Red Riding Hood."

There was silence at the table again.

Wolf opened one eye and looked at Virginia. "Is the wedding off?"

"Why didn't you tell me? What else haven't you told me?"

"Oh, Cripes," Wolf whined. "It was bad enough that I was half-wolf. How could I tell you I was descended from THAT wolf?"

Virginia shook her head and closed her eyes. "Well, at least it explains why you took such an instant dislike to my grandmother."

Wolf shivered with embarrassment at the memory of his first and thus far only meeting with the old lady. He prayed his sister would stop, but of course she went on. Why did she always have to be so honest?

"After Aesophocles was killed," Rose continued, "his son, who was our full-blooded wolf grandfather, promised revenge on the House of Red. His name was Scythian. He was well known for archery and his use of poisoned arrows."

"When our father died," Wolf said, "my foster parents wanted me to step in and carry out the revenge."

"You could have done it easily," Virginia said, "by going through with the Evil Queen's plans to poison everybody. Queen Red Riding Hood was here that very day, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Wolf picked up his knife and fork and started carving his meat with extra vigor. "Missy Red was none too happy about being drugged with troll dust. The other guests were thrilled to have the Queen defeated and Wendell back on the throne. But not her! She was angry that her dress had gotten dusty from lying on the floor. Oh, huff-puff! Rose, how can you possibly think we're related to them. I wouldn't want them as part of my family, anymore than they'd want me as part of theirs."

Virginia reached across and took Wolf's hand. His fingers were in a tight fist, but they loosened as she touched him. "One thing I have wondered," she said, trying to change the subject a bit. "Did your parents really name you Wolf? Or did you have another name?"

"Our real parents called him something else," Rose said.

Virginia closed her eyes with dread. "It wasn't Aesophocles, was it?"

"No," Wolf said, "I hardly remember it anymore. My foster parents were the ones who started calling me Wolf. They thought if everyone called me that, then maybe I'd learn how to be a proper one."

"It's just as well," Rose said, looking up admiringly at her brother. "For now, the name Wolf stands for something more than revenge. It stands for honor and heroism. It's the only name you should ever use."

Suddenly the door to the diningroom burst open and Lord Rupert flew in, the gold braid on his jacket rising and falling as he panted. "Ah," he said, throwing his hands up in the air. "There you are, Mr. Wolf. I've been searching for you everywhere. I need you to come at once and pick out which pattern of china you want. The every day stuff will simply not go with our motif!"

"I'm coming," Wolf said, with a wave. Then he turned appealingly to Virginia, his forehead creasing with dread. "The wedding's still on, isn't it?"

"Of course," Virginia said, giving his hand a squeeze. So what if his ancestor with the ridiculous name had tried to kill Red Riding Hood a couple hundred years ago. Her mother had only three weeks before tried to wipe out most the rulers of the Nine Kingdoms. "I just don't want to have to plan everything."

"No problem!" Wolf said. He got up and kissed her on the top of the head. "We've got it all under control. You just need to pick out what you're going wear. Maybe Rose can help you."

"I'd be glad to," Rose said.

"Mr. Wolf. Please!" Lord Rupert squealed. "The hours are ticking."

"See you later," Wolf said. And he was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

**Girl Talk**

Tony never did show up in the diningroom for lunch. After Virginia and Rose were finished eating, they went to the room Virginia had stayed in the last time she'd been at the castle to discuss wedding attire. Her father had told her that King Wendell had kept the room ready just in case she returned.

"The only thing I can think of wearing is the white gown I wore the last time I was here," Virginia said, "King Wendell had it made special for me for the banquet he gave in our honor. It's probably still here."

"That was very nice of him," Rose said. "What color is it?"

"A creamy white, with a very fitted bodice and a full skirt."

"Let's take a look."

Sure enough, the dress was in the closet exactly where Virginia had left it. It was beautifully elegant. And so different from the jeans and sweater top that she was still wearing. Considering the looks she'd gotten from some of the women of the court, Virginia figured pants were not considered proper dress for women in the Nine Kingdoms. But at least they didn't seem to bother Rose.

"Here it is," Virginia said, holding up the brocade gown.

"How lovely. Yes. I think it will make an excellent wedding dress. Why don't you try it on just to see if we need to do any work on it." Rose threw the leather satchel she'd been carrying on the floor by the door and put her simple brown jacket over it.

"I'm sure it's fine," Virginia said. "It hasn't been that long since I've had it on."

"Just the same, I think you should try it on. Better to be sure. Do you have any shoes to go with it?"

Virginia pulled out a pair of satin cream shoes from the closet and quickly changed into the dress. Then she put her back to Rose so she could hook up the bodice for her.

Rose tugged at the dress and made a little growl. "Just as I thought. The bodice is about an inch short of closing."

"Really?" Virginia asked."

"No problem. I've learned a lot about the sewing arts because I favor both dresses like the one I'm wearing and pants, like you have on."

"I didn't notice any weight gain in my own clothes."

"Well, this bodice is meant to be tight. That's so it pushes the bust up. In your condition, it's quite easy to grow out of it."

Virginia turned and looked into Rose's knowing green eyes. "So, you sense my condition too. It's funny because I always thought it was the mother's job to break the news to the father. But Wolf caught me totally off guard by being the first to know."

"Wolves and a lot of other animals can sense the additional presence, especially when the baby is one of their own kind."

"Wolf thinks it's going to be a boy."

Rose touched Virginia's stomach gently with her freckled fingers and said, "He may be right. If you take off the dress, I think I can fix it. There's a deep hem on it. So, I'll just cut off a long swath of material and sew it to the inside of the back. Then, I'll rearrange the hooks onto the extension. It will hardly be noticeable."

"That would be wonderful. Are you sure you wouldn't mind? I could probably get one of Wendell's maids to do it."

"No," Rose said, touching Virginia's hand warmly. "Let me do it. It'll be my gift to you. I don't have anything else to give you."

Virginia smiled her thanks and fetched a sewing kit she'd noticed in the closet. Then she slipped out of the dress and handed it over. As Rose threaded a needle Virginia put her original clothes back on. "So you wear pants too. Not many women seem to here."

"I do," Rose said. Her fingers were nimble and delicate. They flew over the dress like little birds in flight. Rose gestured to the satchel by the door. "I have a pair of deer skin pants and a matching jacket. Long dresses are nothing but trouble when you're walking in the woods. But they're awfully good at covering up a secret tail." She smiled impishly at Virginia, who knew just what she meant. Wolf was always struggling to keep his tail hidden.

"What I'd like to hear is the full story of how you and Wolf met," Rose said. She was snipping material off the hem now and tacking down the edges to be sure it wouldn't unravel. "I've heard many different tales about it from many different people on my trip from the Sixth Kingdom. And I've probably also heard very little truth."

Virginia told Rose the whole story from start to finish. How Wolf had originally been sent by the Evil Queen to recapture Prince Wendell after he'd been turned into a dog. How he'd trussed up her grandmother like a turkey and threatened Virginia with a meat cleaver. And how, despite the less than stellar beginning they'd ended up falling in love.

Rose looked up from her sewing now and again during the tale, especially pausing over Virginia's recounting of Wolf's confusion about his wolf side and his human side. She stopped completely during the telling of his full moon problems in Little Lamb Village and how he'd almost been burned as a murderer.

When she finished, Virginia said, "You know, you're a lot different than Wolf. You seem more centered, more sure of who you are."

Rose was now attaching the hooks on the back of the dress into their new positions. "Well, I guess that's because our lives diverged so much after our real parents died. Wolf was raised by two older pure-blooded wolves whose lives were consumed by thoughts of revenge on the human race. I don't remember our real parents being that way and my foster parents certainly weren't. Wolf was lucky to meet you. Having a good mate has made all the difference for him."

"What were your foster parents like?" Virginia asked.

"My foster father was a wolf like my real father. In fact, they'd grown up together. My foster mother was human like my real mother. So, I had the opportunity to learn about both halves of myself. I wish Wolf had had the same chance. For instance, I don't have any serious problems during the full moon. As long as my wolf side gets an airing, the full moon does little more than increase my energy and sharpen my instincts. It's like, if you're on a fast, all you can think of is food."

"You mean, if Wolf tries to ignore his wolf side, it'll just clamor for attention till it comes out and takes over."

"Exactly."

"It sounds like one of his self-help books."

Rose laughed warmly.

"Well, last month, he did seem better during the full moon. I took him hunting in the mountains."

"Excellent," Rose said. "That's exactly what he needs. To run free and get back to the land." She was on the last hook now. "You know, also. In Little Lamb Village, the Evil Queen might have had some hand in how bad things were for him. You said she'd contacted Wolf several times in puddles of water. She may have intensified his reactions to the moon."

"But she couldn't make him kill anyone."

"Of course not," Rose snorted. Wolves are not killing machines. What they really like is to go on big hunting parties in the deep woods and bring down large game. Of course, when hunting alone, they'll go for smaller animals. And if food is scarce, they'll poach from a farm. But if wolves went around killing everything in sight, pretty soon there'd be no game left. And pretty soon after that, there'd be no wolves. No predator would be that stupid. From what I've seen, wolves kill mostly for food. And sometimes, like humans, they kill for revenge. There. I've finished. Why don't you try the dress on one last time? Just to be sure."

Virginia tried it on and it fit perfectly.

"It's beautiful," Rose said admiringly. "You'll make a beautiful bride."

"Thank you, so much. For everything."

Rose gave Virginia a gentle embrace from behind, letting her cheek come to rest against Virginia's for a moment. They smiled at each other in the mirror.

"I only hope I can be as lucky in finding a mate as Wolf was," Rose said.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

**Wedding Blues**

After they had finished prepping Virginia's wedding dress, Rose went off to find her new room and search out material for a veil to top off Virginia's wedding ensemble. They met again in the great dining hall for dinner and sat together at the main table.

"I've pretty much finished your veil," Rose announced. "After dinner, you should try it on. I've decorated the crown with pearls to match your engagement ring. And I got one of the maids to bring me a dainty string of pearls for your neck."

"Sounds wonderful."

"One thing I think you should do, is see about having the dressmaker put together some new clothes for you. I mean, you're going to need a wardrobe in progressively larger sizes. Dresses will probably work better than pants."

"I know. I've been thinking about that."

The girls quieted down as the waiter brought their dinners, steak for Virginia and pork chops for Rose.

"I suppose I should wait for Wolf," Virginia said, "But I'm just so ravenous."

"I'm sure he'll understand. I take it you haven't had any morning sickness yet."

"No. Just an increased appetite." Virginia carved happily into her steak. She couldn't remember enjoying food this much before she got pregnant. Everything tasted and smelled so good now. She was amazed at her appetite and how often her thoughts strayed to food.

"You might not get any morning sickness," Rose said, "Or if you do, it might come on later, maybe in the second-trimester. In the first trimester, you'll mostly gain weight. In the third, you'll finally get the good feelings that most human mothers with completely human children tend to feel in the second."

Virginia stopped in mid-chew and regarded her almost sister-in-law thoughtfully. "You sound like you know a lot about this."

"I've worked as a mid-wife and practiced some of the medicinal arts in the wolf and part-wolf community. Human doctors don't want much to do with us, you know. It's earned my keep and kept me moving around a lot."

"Well, it certainly makes me feel better knowing there's a doctor in the family," Virginia said appreciatively.

Rose smiled and shook her head firmly. "I'm not a doctor. I'm sure the King's royal physician has much better training than I have. You should probably see him soon."

"I get more and more impressed with you all the time."

Rose pushed aside a mass of red hair that was falling into her face. "Don't be. All rural folk dabble in the medicinal arts to some degree because of the remoteness of where they live. I just specialize."

"It still sounds impressive."

At that point Tony came in with a lovely lady on his arm. She had dusky skin and an endless supply of ringlets piled on her head with little crystals scattered throughout. He was whispering something in her ear and the girl was laughing delicately behind a small white fan decorated with more crystals.

"Look, there's my Dad," Virginia said, waving to him. "It's about time."

Tony waved back at Virginia and seated the lady at a quiet table in the corner. Then he came over. "Good evening ladies," he said, jovially.

"Good evening yourself," Virginia said. She noticed he was wearing a different suit than he'd had on earlier in the day. This one was deep blue with tiny silver pinstripes and silver edging on the collar and cuffs. Around his neck was a silver tie with a dark blue stickpin. It was hard to believe this natty man was her father. "Where were you at lunch?" she asked.

"Well, I found I couldn't get away."

"Your friend certainly is pretty. What's her name?"

"Daphne." He sent the girl in question a sweet smile and she responded with an engaging flutter of her fan.

"Aren't you going to introduce us? I mean if she's such a good friend of yours, I'd like to meet her."

Tony gave his daughter a weak laugh. "She's not really a friend. I just met her about an hour ago. She's here with some great aunt or something, who's here to pay a courtesy call on the King."

"An hour ago? She sure is friendly for an hour ago."

"Well, I'm the Inventor to the King, after all. And uh, she's just indulging in a little hero worship."

Virginia gave him a disapproving smirk. "Looks like you're the one indulging. Then, she's not the young lady you had lunch with?"

"Oh, no." Tony's eyes squeezed shut at the wonderful memory of his luncheon companion. "That was beautiful blond Adelicia. Isn't that an enchanting name? It just sort of rolls off the tongue like music."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't look at me that way, Virginia. Adelicia is a very sweet child."

"With another case of hero worship, I'll bet."

"Yes, well. To change the subject, have you seen Wolf lately?"

"No. Not since lunch."

"Well, Daphne and I ran into him just a while ago. He was still tearing around the castle with Lord Rupert. He told me to tell you there's going to be a wedding rehearsal at eight o'clock sharp in the ballroom. I've already told the King about it. He'll be there too if his duties allow."

"All right," Virginia said. "Rose and I will be there."

"Good. Now, I'd better get back to Daphne. It's bad manners to leave her alone too long."

"Uh-huh," Virginia said again. After her father returned to his dinner companion she whispered to Rose, "I think he's going through what my people call male menopause."

"Hmm," Rose said, looking over at Tony. "Strictly a human ailment I think."

At eight o'clock Virginia and Rose entered the ballroom to find it awash in utter pandemonium. An army of butlers was feverishly decorating everything in pink and white, running every which way with ladders and material. Meanwhile, Wolf and Lord Rupert were having a very loud argument over where the actual ceremony should take place. Lord Rupert wanted it at the top of the grand stairway and Wolf wanted it in the center of the room, like theatre in the round.

The Bishop who was to perform the marriage was also on the scene. He finally felt compelled to intervene before the whole thing came to blows. "I think I'd feel awkward standing on the stairs," he said, reasonably, "and if someone makes a wrong step, there could be an accident. I think we should go with Mr. Wolf's suggestion."

Lord Rupert made no attempt to hide his horror. "Well," he said dramatically, "I think your idea is PEDESTRIAN at best. But if you REALLY insist, we'll do it your way."

"After all, it is MY wedding," Wolf insisted.

"It's not just yours anymore," Rupert said. "I've poured my blood and sweat into this. It's just as much MY wedding now as yours."

Wolf growled at Lord Rupert, who fearlessly growled back. There was a momentary nose to nose showdown. And then Wolf threw up his hands.

"Oh, Cripes, fine!" Wolf said. "You can share the credit. Just don't expect me to invite you on the honeymoon!"

The bishop cleared his throat delicately. What a thick throat it was too, sitting sturdily between his large round head with only the slightest fringe of white hair and an even rounder body. "Gentlemen, please control yourselves. We have ladies present."

When Wolf saw Virginia, he ran over at once. "You're here!" he exclaimed. "Right on time. Where's your father?"

"I don't know, but he should be here soon." She smiled thinly, glad now that she hadn't seen Wolf most of the day. She hated it when he got manic panic like this.

"We've got very little time," Rupert said, throwing his hands into the air. He knew how distracted Tony could get. "If Lord Lewis doesn't show up soon, we'll have to start without him."

"Start without who?" Tony asked, entering the ballroom with a tall blond on his arm.

"Ah, you're here," Lord Rupert said.

"Now we'll just wait a couple more minutes for Wendy," Wolf said.

"He may not be able to come," Tony said. "After all, being king is a full time job."

"See? What's the point in waiting? I'll just stand in for him," Lord Rupert said.

"We'll wait a little longer," Wolf insisted.

It looked as if the two were about to start another growling contest. So, Virginia decided to change the subject. She turned to the beautiful blond lady on her father's arm and smiled pleasantly. "You must be Adelicia," she said.

The young lady's eyebrows flew up into the spit curls on her forehead and she turned to glare at Tony."

Virginia's father laughed weakly. "No, no. THIS is Eleanora."

Happily King Wendell entered at that point.

"Good evening, everyone," the King said, jauntily. He looked radiant, as if he'd dressed especially for this rehearsal. His boots were freshly shined and his curly blond hair coifed just right. The medals on his chest were polished and gleaming and the crease in his pants was razor sharp. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting."

Lord Rupert knew better than to make a comment. He was simply furious about Wendell's being late. But, of course, you can't yell at the king to whom you've sworn your life and fealty, no matter how much you want to.

"You're right on time," Wolf said, "We've just got to move this along quickly."

And thus, began one of the fastest and most unpleasant wedding rehearsals in history. Lord Rupert continued arguing with Wolf about every little thing. And the bishop kept trying to keep the peace. The rest of them resented being pushed around like inanimate chess pieces and wanted it all to be over with. Tony noticed the Lady Eleanora glaring impatiently at him from the back of the room.

Finally, Lord Rupert said with a sniff, "It's not perfect, but we don't have time to do it again."

"It doesn't have to be perfect," Wolf said, "It just has to be smooth."

"Well, it's not even that. But it will have to do. We must, we simply MUST meet with the court musicians now. I want all forty of them to be there."

"All right, all right."

"Then, its over?" Tony asked, "We can go?"

"Yes, yes," Lord Rupert said. "You can all go. But DO try and walk in rhythm tomorrow."

"We'll do our best," Tony said.

With that, it seemed as if the starting whistle had sounded, because Lord Rupert immediately began to dash toward the door. "Come on, come on," he yelled to Wolf. "After the musicians, we've got to see how they're coming with the wedding cake. A work of art doesn't just happen, you know."

"I've got to go," Wolf told Virginia, "Don't wait up for me." Then he gave her a peck on the cheek and ran off after Lord Rupert.

If Wolf hadn't been so preoccupied, he would have seen the look of irritation on his intended's brow.

"Forty musicians," Tony said. "Doesn't sound like a simple ceremony anymore, does it?" He reattached himself to Eleanora's arm and flashed his eyebrows at her meaningfully. "Emotions run high just before a wedding. That's why in our country, we have a custom where the bride doesn't see the groom before the wedding. We say it's bad luck, but really it's to avoid fights."

"Sounds like an excellent custom," the bishop said, nodding his round head. He himself certainly planned to avoid the groom and Lord Rupert till the actual ceremony.

"Yeah," Virginia said.

Rose blinked and sighed. "Wolf is rather wound, isn't he?"

"Just a bit," Tony said, as he piloted Eleanora toward the door.

Wendell said nothing. He was too busy trying not to look at Rose.

It was after two o'clock in the morning when Virginia finally heard Wolf scratching at her door.

"Virginia," he called, "Love of my life. It's me. Why is the door locked? Virginia?"

She got out of bed and crept to the door. "You can't come in," she whispered, "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

"But, but,"

"I'll see you at the ceremony. If you and Rupert decide to make any more changes, you can send word by Rose."

"But, but, where will I sleep?"

"You can bunk in with Dad."

Spending the night with Tony was just about the last thing Wolf wanted to do. "But how can I sleep unless I hear you snoring beside me?"

"I don't snore," Virginia said indignantly.

"Yes you do. Cute little tiny ones, that almost sound like growls."

"If I do, it's only because I'm copying you."

"Oh, huff-puff."

"You'll just have to pretend. It's bad luck. Now, go on. Shoo."

It was obvious Wolf wasn't going to win this argument. He didn't understand the custom, but he certainly wanted them to have the luckiest marriage possible. So, he kissed her goodnight through the door and slept in the grass at the edge of the courtyard. His dreams were full of their happily-ever-after life to come.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**Wedding Bells**

The day of Wolf and Virginia's wedding shone bright and cool. Wolf woke up at first light feeling glorious. Inside the castle, Lord Rupert was already in high gear, ordering the butlers and maids around and finishing last minute preparations. Wolf and Rupert had had their disagreements the day before, but today, seeing Rupert's total commitment to the most important day of his life, Wolf could almost have kissed him.

Virginia, upstairs in her room, was beginning to feel nervous. She too was up early. She felt strangely tingly all over and totally unable to stay in bed. She didn't feel like eating, but thought in her condition, she should. Besides, it was going to be a very long day. The chambermaid came immediately in answer to the bell chain near her bed.

"Yes, Miss," the rosy cheeked girl said.

"Could I have my breakfast in my room please?"

"Of course, Miss."

"I'd like a bacon omelet with extra bacon and a pot of tea. No. Better not have caffeine. I'm already jumpy enough as it is. Make it milk, warm milk, with maybe just a touch of chocolate in it. Or maybe more than a touch of chocolate."

"Yes, Miss."

Virginia walked back and forth in her light cotton nightgown to burn off her excess energy. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. She jumped. Was it Wolf, she wondered? And if it was, would she have the strength to send him away again? "Yes. Who is it?"

"It's Rose."

"Oh, come in."

Rose opened the door and slipped inside. She was wearing a different dress than she had worn the day before. This one was made of a blend of cotton and wool with a soft pattern of mauve flowers scattered over a background of olive green. Her long red hair was tied back with an olive ribbon. Over her arm, she was carrying three dresses. "I saw the chambermaid come out of your room," she said. "So I figured you were awake. King Wendell sent us each two new dresses. Wasn't that thoughtful of him?"

"Oh," Virginia said. "You look very nice in that one. The green goes nicely with your red hair."

"Thank you," Rose said. She was obviously very pleased with the kind words.

"In no time at all, you're going to have every man in this palace falling at your feet in a dead faint."

Rose blushed lightly. She had never actually thought of herself as attractive. Her status as a half-wolf didn't exactly make her a good catch. Human men were often attracted to her initially, but always lost interest when they learned about her heritage. Both they and even some of the pure blooded wolves considered her a contamination of their respective races. She hadn't just been kind when she'd said how lucky Wolf had been to find Virginia. After her foster mother had died three years before, she'd decided that finding a mate would have to take second place to survival.

But this morning she felt tremendously spoiled. The last twenty-four hours had held so many wonderful things. She'd been reunited with her brother, had a beautiful room to sleep in, ample food, and even new clothes. She'd always considered herself to be especially good at accepting things. Whether bad or good, she met her destiny with a calm and steady pulse. But this morning, she couldn't help it. She felt almost giddy.

"Did you have breakfast?" Virginia asked. "I could call the chambermaid back."

"Oh, I already had breakfast. Lord Rupert is rushing everyone through it. He wants the kitchen to concentrate on the reception."

"Did you see Wolf?"

"Not exactly. I saw something that looked more like a blur of Wolf."

"Are he and Lord Rupert still fighting?"

"Not this morning. Rupert seems to have taken total control and Wolf just seems to be going along with it. But you still wouldn't want to be around them."

"I don't think they'd want to be around me either."

"You're starting to get nervous?"

"Oooh, just a little," Virginia said, her blue eyes widening.

Rose smiled. "Here, these dresses are yours. I've looked them over and they both have more relaxed bodices than your wedding gown. I think they'll fit all right for a little while at least. But you'd better talk to the Royal Couturier before he starts making you any more."

"Mm, navy for a conservative look and a light blue print for casual. What's the gown for?"

"This is my maid of honor gown." Rose held the satin gown of damask pink up in front of her. "Lord Rupert had it dyed to match his color scheme. What do you think?"

"Did you try it on yet?"

"No. But if it doesn't fit, I figure I could borrow your sewing box and fix it. We've got time. The wedding's doesn't start till two o'clock."

Virginia shook out her hands. "Don't remind me. I'm nervous enough already. What about shoes?"

"They aren't quite ready yet, but Lord Rupert assures me they'll be done in time."

"So, try on the dress and let's see if it fits."

Rose's gown needed just a touch of work. She sewed it while Virginia ate her breakfast. The rest of the morning was spent with Rose looking out the window, describing the arriving wedding guests. Evidently Lord Rupert had sent out verbal invitations to the whole kingdom and it looked as if most of them had come.

At one o'clock a couple of ladies in waiting arrived to prepare the bride and her maid of honor for the wedding.

"How do I look?" Virginia asked Rose after the fussing was over. She was looking in a full length mirror at the time and should have known the answer. But still, she asked the question, her face pale with concern.

"You look perfect. If that were a magic mirror, he'd tell you just how perfect. Snow White and Cinderella could never have looked lovelier."

At two o'clock on the dot, a butler knocked at the door to conduct Virginia and Rose down to the ballroom. Virginia walked with her hand on his arm, her heart beating so loud she wondered if anyone else could hear it. Rose followed behind, carrying her train and giving encouragement.

Downstairs, the procession had already begun to the soft accompaniment of harp and violin. Lord Rupert, of course, was conducting everything, setting the beat for the rhythmically challenged and whispering "Go!" when it was time to move.

First the Bishop entered and took his place in the center. Then the King and Wolf entered. They weren't in step with each other, but no one except Lord Rupert seemed to notice. The King was wearing his fanciest suit of state, the white one with all the gold braid and medals. Wolf was wearing the black suit and frock coat he'd worn two weeks before to the banquet the King had given in their honor.

Next came Rose, stepping perfectly in time to the music, scattering petals behind her as she went. She looked radiant in her new gown with her red hair flowing freely behind her.

"Who is she?" many of the guests whispered back and forth.

Of course, the wolves that were present knew who she was. She had asked Wolf the night before at the rehearsal to invite those who had been kindest to her while she was living in the woods in front of the castle. They stood mingling with the other guests, looking on proudly at their hero and his lady.

After Rose had taken her place, the court trumpeter blew on his horn and the other thirty-odd court musicians joined in the crescendo.

Lord Rupert straightened Virginia's veil one last time and said, "That's your cue. You look beautiful. Now go and make me proud."

Virginia glowed as she took Tony's arm. Suddenly all her nervousness disappeared.

"You know," her father whispered into her ear, "I think that was supposed to be my line. You do make me proud, you know."

Virginia squeezed Tony's arm and they proceeded to the center of the ballroom, trying their best to stay in rhythm.

Wolf stood in front of the Bishop, his face full of anticipation and his breath coming in small gasps. On one side of him stood Wendell, looking calm and kingly, the perfect best man. On the other, slightly removed, stood his sister, looking quite magical in her beautiful new gown.

When Tony and Virginia reached Wolf, Tony removed Virginia's hand from his arm and placed it on Wolf's. The groom sighed audibly at her touch. Tony smiled and tried to ignore the tears filling his eyes. He was giving away his little girl. From now on she would belong to Wolf. He stepped back into the crowd, knowing that never again would he be first in her life.

"We are gathered here today," the round-faced Bishop began, "To bring about the union between this man and woman."

And so the ceremony went. Lord Rupert was so touched by his handiwork that he wept uncontrollably at the door of the ballroom. Tony pursed his lips and continued trying not to cry, but he didn't do a very good job of it. The rest of the guests simply beamed. It was hard not to feel the infectious joy of this happy bride and groom.

When the Bishop asked if Wolf "took this woman to be his wife," Wolf called out loudly, "Oh, yes!"

Virginia smiled at his intensity. Her yes to that same question was calmer, but no less heartfelt.

Rose and Wendell looked on solemnly throughout the whole thing. She was grateful that she'd been able to be part of the celebration. And he was trying hard not to glance at her too often.

With a tilt of his round head, the Bishop finally pronounced Wolf and Virginia to be husband and wife.

Wolf scooped his bride into his arms and kissed her more passionately than he'd meant to. Immediately, the court musicians fell into a triumphant march and the Bishop cleared his throat delicately.

"To me, to me," Lord Rupert whispered too loudly from the back.

Virginia beamed up at Wolf and led him back down the aisle. He was too busy smiling to notice Lord Rupert waving madly.

Never before had Virginia felt such an outpouring of love as she did on the receiving line outside the ballroom. The good wishes of everyone seemed so warm and real. For the first time, she felt as if she really belonged in the Nine Kingdoms.

A little off from the bride and groom, the best man and maid of honor greeted the guests also and pointed them on their way to the reception. As Rose was a stranger to almost everyone, Wendell introduced her and explained who she was. More than one guest gave her a second more discerning look when they heard she was Wolf's sister. They saw her delicate features, her almost royal stance, and her mane of red hair and couldn't quite hide their surprise. Whatever they'd thought of her, they hadn't thought she was a wolf.

The King was embarrassed by their reactions. But Rose took it in stride. She'd seen that kind of thing many times before. At least in this case, the surprise wasn't followed by anything negative. Like Wolf, she'd had more than one person react badly to her heritage.

The wedding supper was both orderly and grand, with Lord Rupert orchestrating it in full. First there was a splendid toast from the King all about true love and destiny. Then the dancing started, followed by plenty of food and champagne. Wolf and Virginia danced the first dance, of course, with the King and Rose joining them.

If Wendell had had his druthers, he would have foregone this. But propriety was propriety and it was his job as best man to dance the first dance with the maid of honor. Wendell tried very hard not to notice how soft Rose's hand felt in his or how wonderful the woodsy scent of her long red hair was as it brushed against his cheek.

"I hope the dresses I ordered for you and Virginia were satisfactory," he said, trying to make proper small talk.

"Oh, yes. Thank you your Majesty," she said, looking up into his face. "It was very kind of you."

The King noticed one single light freckle just above Rose's top lip, just slightly to the right. His concentration on the dance immediately strayed and he stepped on her foot. "So sorry," he apologized. "I haven't danced in some time."

"Neither have I. It was probably my fault."

"Oh, not at all. Your rhythm is impeccable. It's I who went wrong. Anyway, I'm glad you both like the dresses. The last time Virginia was here she was forced to wear the same outfit for quite some time. As a national heroine and the daughter of the Inventor to the King, she should have an extensive wardrobe."

Rose nodded readily in agreement.

"And as for you, I noticed you had only a small leather satchel. So, I knew you had very little. Please feel free to ask for anything you need. As the sister of a national hero, it's the very least I can do."

"You've already done a lot, your Majesty."

Rose smiled again and they finished the dance in silence. She knew from the way he looked at her that he was attracted. But she also knew from his strict propriety that he had no intention of pursuing anything. For her it was an old story. Still, she took no offense. He'd already done so much for her brother and her people.

The minute the dance was done, Wendell bowed politely and made no more attempts to speak with her again.

As for Lord Lewis, he had a fine old time. He danced once with Virginia and then divided his time up evenly with all the other young ladies in the room. Except, that is, for Adelicia and Eleanora. The two young blonds seemed to be totally involved with arguing about something from behind a large potted plant.

When ten o'clock came, the party was still going strong. Wolf and Virginia sat at their table near the door watching the guests. Suddenly, she became aware of Wolf staring at her pointedly.

"What?" she asked.

"You think maybe it's time to start the honeymoon?"

"Maybe," she said, leaning in close to him.

"Everyone's so busy, I think we could just slip out without being noticed."

"I'm with you," she answered.

When they got to their room, Wolf opened the door and kissed his wife soundly and deeply. Then he scooped her up into his arms and said, "I just remembered another custom from the Kingdom of Manhattan. I believe it's proper to carry the bride across the threshold."

"Where did you learn that?" she laughed.

"From an old movie channel on television. The one where most of the stuff is in black and white."

Virginia put her arms around his neck and he carried her inside, locking the door behind them.

The guests at the party did, of course, notice that the bride and groom were missing. But nobody said anything. They just exchanged knowing smiles and partied on. At eleven o'clock, the dancing and eating were still in full swing. So, no one noticed when the Chancellor entered and crept to the King's side.

Wendell was talking to one of the local landowners. But when he saw the Chancellor, he knew it had to be important. "Excuse me," he said. "Affairs of state, you know."

"Of course, your Majesty," the landowner said.

With a polite bow to his subject, Wendell took his leave and pulled the Chancellor off to one side. "Yes, what is it?"

"Your Majesty," the Chancellor said gravely, "I've just received word that the trolls have crossed the border and are renewing their attack against us."

Wendell sighed deeply and looked down at the ground, trying to maintain his look of composure. He didn't want to act upset, in case anyone was watching. "Let's speak of this privately," he whispered.

They left the party as discreetly as they could and immediately went to the King's office. It was just barely lit when they went in because the butler in charge of didn't expect the room to be used any more that night. The dark wood that dominated the room, coupled with the fading light from the fireplace and the single lamp glowing on the enormous desk in the center, gave it an ominous glow.

"Where are our troops?" Wendell asked.

"They're thinned out from our last battle with the trolls. And the men we have are scattered over the kingdom due to the, uh, recent immigration issues."

Wendell nodded. He'd thought it best to add extra troops along the borders where wolf immigration was highest, near the Second and Fifth Kingdoms. Their job was to keep the peace and help the process along.

"What's the damage?" the King asked.

"Beantown and the village next to it were taken easily."

"I thought we had troops there." Wendell said angrily. He had personally ordered a detachment to help rebuild those areas from the onslaught they had received during his enchantment as a dog.

"We did, Sire. But the people there seem to have lost their will to fight. The battalions we had in those towns have been badly beaten. But they're still trying to hold back the trolls as best they can. One of the captains writes that he thinks the enemy is heading toward Kissing Town, hoping to destroy everything in their path as they go. The trolls are aware that if they take Kissing Town they will have dealt our country a major blow."

"Yes. So much of our nation's history is tied up in that place." Wendell walked heavily to the window and looked out on to the courtyard. His handsome face was dark with worried shadows. "All right," he said. "Send word to our other troops that they should leave their present bases and start at once for the fighting. I'll go tonight with whatever soldiers we've got on hand here. I wasn't with my people during our last battle with the trolls, so I've got to be with them as soon as possible during this one. Try to keep things quiet here tonight. We have so many guests in the palace. I don't want them all to go home and start a panic."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

**The Virgin Queen**

Queen Red Riding Hood was in the outer area of her boudoir in front of her enormous dressing table. Some people call this piece of furniture with the large mirror attached to it a vanity. And in this case, never a truer word was spoken. Every morning of every day, Queen Riding Hood sat before her vanity dressed in the outfit of the day, gazing at herself intently while two chambermaids applied her make-up, did her hair, polished her nails, and added the appropriate jewelry. The whole ceremony easily took from one to two hours depending on how elaborately her hair was done. She never felt the need to ask a magic mirror who the fairest of all was. She already knew the answer.

The Queen's private bedchamber was enormous with décor entirely in red and black, the official colors of the Second Kingdom. Two walls of the room were entirely made up of closets, filled with dozens upon dozens of beautiful gowns, coats, and accessories all in various shades and prints of red. Deep cherry red was her favorite shade of the color. But there were orange reds for fall, burgundy reds for winter, and lighter reds just touched with pink for spring. The red prints were reserved for summer.

Upon arising in the morning, the Queen chose her gown for the day. Whereupon, it was prepped and ironed for her while she bathed. A full choice of accessories was also pulled out for her to choose from. After she dressed, she sat at her vanity and gave orders as to the hairstyle she wanted for that day. Both of her maids had been with her for a very long time and they knew well how to do her hair and make-up.

While at the vanity, she allowed visitors. So, this outer area of her boudoir served as an informal meeting hall as well. The actual sleeping part of her room was never visited by anyone other than her two personal maids. It was shut off from the vanity area by heavy red velvet curtains. Her sleeping apparel was made of satin. Her sheets were made of silk and her blankets were made of pure cashmere. The headboard of the bed was enormous and made of a combination of mahogany and gold, with just a touch of rubies. The bed itself was twice what most people consider king-size. Yet, despite its space, she had never shared it with anyone. Nor did she intend to.

Queen Red Riding Hood had never married. Many had asked for her hand. But she had spurned every would-be lover that had come her way. Being Queen was all she wanted. She feared that if she took a husband, he might try to eclipse her or wrest power from her. And that if she had children, they too might steal attention from her in their position as heir to the throne. So, she remained single, never naming a line of succession and even keeping her Chancellor and other advisors at a distance.

"Being Queen is the best thing in the world," her mother had told her when she was little. "Don't share it with anyone! And cut down anyone who would threaten your power."

Queen Riding Hood the Third remembered those words and tried to live by them. Of course, she'd never had the occasion to cut anyone down. But then, she didn't need to. Keeping a distance from the world made it easier to stand above it.

On this morning, the day after Virginia and Wolf's wedding, Queen Riding Hood was dressed in a deep maroon gown, watching as her maids slowly teased and decorated her bright red hair with a series of pearl combs. The process was almost finished when there was a knock at the door.

"Come," she said.

The door opened slowly to reveal the person of her private secretary Ichabod. He hesitated just a minute as he gauged her mood. "Your, Majesty?"

"Come in, come in," she said.

"Your Majesty, I have some news from the border."

"News?" she said distractedly. When she was concentrating on her reflection, it was hard to think of anything else.

"Yes." Ichabod wrung his hands and bent his willowy body forward toward her. This way he could be close and still pull away quickly if need be. "We've gotten word that the trolls have renewed their attack against the Fourth Kingdom."

The Queen stopped gazing at herself and turned her full attention to her secretary. "What?"

"They're being led by all three of King Relish's children. Most likely for revenge of his death."

"Indeed?" There was no horror in her voice as she said this. In fact, she sounded quite off-handed. "How are they doing? The trolls, I mean."

"Quite well, I think. They've taken Beantown and three other villages and seem to be heading directly for Kissing Town."

"Indeed?" A slight smile was coming to her lips now. "Well. It serves that wolf-lover Wendell right. I take it the King's troops are not doing very well."

"They were badly scattered about the kingdom and so seem to be getting a late start to the battle."

"Indeed?" The smile was bigger now. "Has he sent out cries of help to the Council of the Nine Kingdoms?"

"Not yet."

"Good." The Queen turned back to the mirror and continued admiring herself. "If he does, you may tell him that the armies of the Second Kingdom have no intentions of aiding him. If the Council demands a reason, you can tell them it's because we feel this is a personal fight between Wendell and the trolls."

"Yes, your Majesty," Ichabod said. He was smiling too now, glad to have made his Queen happy.

"Oh, and would you call in the Royal Dressmaker. I think I'd like to order a new cape today, a heavy velvet one edged with fur."

"At once your Majesty," Ichabod said, bobbing his way out of the room backwards.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Clouds of War

It was very late in the morning when Virginia finally opened her eyes and found Wolf staring at her.

"Hi!" he said, brushing the hair out of her face.

"Hi."

"You sleep well?"

"Mm, yes." She crawled over into his arms and rested her head on his chest. His heartbeat was strong and steady. "How about you?"

"You mean except for your snoring?"

"I don't snore."

Wolf wrapped his arms around her. "I was too happy to sleep. And besides, it was more fun watching you."

"Mm."

"You hungry?"

"Not really," she said. She noticed the pickup in his heart beat and realized they both had a hunger for other things first.

It wasn't until two o'clock that their thoughts finally turned to food.

"Do you realize we've been married one whole day?" Wolf said as he pulled on some clothes and reached for the bell that would bring the chambermaid.

"I wonder when I'm going to start feeling like an old married lady?"

"Probably after our fourth or fifth child," Wolf said with a big smile.

He wanted a large family. "Or maybe when we start having grandchildren."

"Could we hold back on the grandchildren for a little while at least?" Virginia asked getting up. She wanted to get on robe before the chambermaid arrived. But as it turned out, several minutes went by and still no one appeared.

"You think the bell's broken?" Wolf asked.

"It was working yesterday. Ring it again."

Wolf pulled the cord again. But again several minutes went by. They were convinced it was broken now and were just about to go downstairs when a knock sounded at the door.

"Finally," Virginia said. "Come in."

The rosy faced girl that had come the day before opened the door shyly. "Sorry, Missus,"

"We were beginning to think the bell was broken."

"No, Missus. It's just there's such an awful row today, what with the war and everything. Everyone's running around in a tizzy."

"The war?" Virginia said, exchanging looks with Wolf. "What war?"

The rosy cheeked girl came into the room and shut the door partially behind her. "No one wanted to bother you, you being just married and all," she said. "But it started last night. The trolls are on the march again, sweeping through our kingdom like brushfire. They're doing it in revenge for their late king they say. They say they're heading for Kissing Town and then straight for the castle. King Wendell left late last night with all the soldiers we had quartered here to hold them back. That is, if he can. Our army is spread out all over right now, so everyone's very afraid that maybe the trolls will win this time."

"I think maybe we should go downstairs," Virginia said. "See Daddy, and maybe find out what else is going on?"

"Yes," Wolf agreed.

They found Lord Lewis, looking less composed and lordly than he had the day before. He was in his workshop alone, pouring over a pile of sketches at his desk.

"Where are all your helpers?" Virginia asked.

"They're worrying over the war." Tony didn't have to say which war. It was clear from the look on Virginia and Wolf's faces that they knew. "Some of them volunteered for the army. And others went home to their families to make preparations for flight."

"The palace is almost deserted. Where's Rose?" Wolf asked.

"I think she went into the woods to bring the news to the wolf population."

"And what are you doing?" Virginia asked.

"Well," Tony said, throwing down his quill, "I'm not a soldier. But I have to do something. So, I'm working on some plans for weapons."

Virginia's look of concern quickly turned to one of alarm. "What kind of weapons?"

"Don't look at me like that. It's not as if I can make an atom bomb."

"A what?" Wolf asked.

"You don't want to know," Virginia told her husband.

"But we've got to do something," Tony said.

"So what are you inventing?"

"Well, they already have gun powder, or black powder as they call it. Only they use it exclusively for fireworks, sort of like the Chinese did before Marco Polo."

"Who?" Wolf asked.

"I'll tell you later," Virginia said.

"But they don't have guns or cannons."

"So you're inventing rifles?"

"Well, first I thought I'd invent cannons. They're big and impressive and you don't have to train as many people how to use them. I've worked up some plans. But the more I think about it, the less sense it makes. I mean, it's going to take awhile to make these. The Fourth Kingdom could be overrun by then. I guess I could invent something else that doesn't take as long to make, like maybe dynamite. But that's basically only good for blowing things up. I don't think it would do much for a field battle."

Wolf looked from Virginia to Tony and back again. He knew what guns were. He'd seen them in the movies and on TV back in Manhattan. "So, what you're saying Tony is, we really don't have time to make any weapons from your dimension."

"No. Not really. Maybe if we'd had more warning."

"What we really need," Virginia said, "is more troops."

Wolf's eyes narrowed and he drummed his fingertips heavily on Tony's desk. "Did I tell you what the Evil Queen planned to do with the wolves?" he asked.

"You said she wanted to make them her secret police," Virginia said.

"Right. Wolves would also make great soldiers."

"What?"

"You heard me." Wolf's eyes were bright with excitement. "Wolves have lots of things to recommend them. They're better trackers and runners than any human soldier. And they're used to working together. We can even send signals to each other that the trolls won't understand. We can follow Wendy out and stage a surprise attack to back him up."

"And who's going to lead them?"

"Well, that's pretty obvious."

"No," Virginia said, definitely.

"Who else would they follow? They think I'm a big hero, as deluded as they may be. Look." Wolf stood up to his full height so he seemed to tower over her. "We have to do this. The Fourth Kingdom is the best hope for the wolf population and for our son."

"Then I'm going with you."

"Not in your condition. You have to stay here with your father where I know you'll be safe."

"No."

"Virginia."

"No."

"Oh, huff-puff!" Wolf said, stamping his foot. "It has to be this way. Don't you see?"

Virginia turned to her father, hoping he would back her up. "Daddy?"

"Honey, I think Wolf's got something. Wendell's troops are scattered because of the wolves. It's only natural for them to want to help. And they're probably better suited for it than most."

"No. What about our honeymoon?"

"We'll continue that when I get back." Wolf pulled Virginia toward him. "Look. I'll be all right. We'll gather up all the wolves we can, divide them into three units, and send them rushing in in a surprise attack. We can probably push the trolls back with very little fighting. And we can lead with the pure-blooded wolves because they'll the best fighters."

Virginia couldn't meet Wolf's eyes. She had the same dread in her heart that every soldier's wife has had since the beginning of time. What if he never came back? How would she ever survive? Still, there didn't seem to be any other way. She signified her agreement by wrapping her arms around him and clinging to him tightly.

"Good," Wolf said, embracing his wife and kissing the top of her head. "I'll go visit the wolves in the woods near the castle right now and see if we can't start pulling our battalion together."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**Bugle Call**

Wolf went at once to get a consensus from the wolves on their willingness to fight. For the rest of the day, Virginia didn't see or hear from him. Then, at nightfall, the howling began. There was one voice at first. Virginia thought she recognized it as Wolf's. It was joined by another and another till there was a great cacophony of howling. It rose to a fever pitch and then broke into a series of organized sound, as if the wolves were practicing a set of signals.

Virginia went down to dinner at eight o'clock and found her father sitting by himself in an almost empty diningroom. "What? No dinner companion tonight?" she said snidely.

"Now, don't start," Tony said, waving his fork at her.

"Sorry. I guess I'm just sort of jumpy."

"Who wouldn't be with all that howling going on."

Virginia sat down and smiled slightly at the waiter when he came to present her with a plate of lamb chops.

"They only made one dish tonight," Tony said. "The kitchen staff is small and besides the castle is kind of empty."

"Lamb is fine." She barely cared what she ate at that point.

"You don't look well. Are you all right?"

"I'm just worried."

"I know how you feel. But I think he'll be all right. If all that howling unnerves us, just think what it'll do to the trolls."

"It sounds like there are more of them now."

"There are. One of the butlers said more wolves are arriving by the hour. They're all huddled in the woods in front of the castle. I think Rose is with them too."

"I wish I was."

Tony put down his fork and leaned in toward his daughter. This was one area in which he agreed with his son-in-law completely. "Wolf is right. You have a child to think of now. You should stay here. You'll be safer."

"Yeah, right."

"There'll be other battles and other quests. Something's always happening here. You'll see. The wolves will win the day and then some evil wizard will come along tomorrow and curse half the kingdoms or something."

"I just feel so helpless."

"I know what you mean," Tony said. And he did. Except that he would have used the word useless instead. He'd spent the whole day working up plans for a series of cannons. But how soon would they be ready? Would they really do any good? "Wolf's got a good plan. I think he's got a good chance of turning back the trolls. We may not like sitting here doing nothing. But I don't think there's any other choice right now."

At eleven o'clock Virginia went to bed alone. Out in the courtyard, she could still hear wolves howling occasionally, but they were much quieter now. Virginia curled up on Wolf's side of the bed and scrunched his pillow around her face. Then she let out a long agonized groan.

Immediately, her engagement ring began a low hum, like a wordless lullaby. But the soothing sound didn't give her any comfort. "Is this the dire happenings you warned us about?" she asked the ring.

"One by one they will all fall," it sang,

"Unless they hear your bugle call."

A chorus of howling started again out in front of the castle. It wasn't loud, but it was long.

"Is that the call you were talking about?" Virginia asked. "Cause if I'd known what you were talking about, I don't think I would've come back. That's Wolf's bugle call, not mine. I'm just gonna be sitting here like an old dwarf housewife, waiting for my man to come home. Hoping he doesn't get himself killed."

"There are secrets from of old,

And its time they should be told," the ring sang.

"Yeah, yeah. I remember that." Virginia held her hand up in front of her face. It was dark in the room, but she could still see the little pearl in her ring. It always glowed with a pale light. "And there was something about a queen too, right? What queen? I haven't seen any queen."

"There is a Queen, proud and vain,

Her kingdom she will not maintain.

The light of truth will change her fate

And with it yours, if not too late.

"The stain of blood has touched her throne,

Although the stain is not her own.

The crimes now stand at number three,

But only one the world does see.

"Though she may never credit you,

Others, though, will see what's true."

Return to light this secret wrong

And stand together to be strong."

"Oh, great. So you want us to help somebody who doesn't give a huff-puff. Who is this chick anyway?"

"Listen to just what I've said,

And you will see the House of Red.

For in the past the blood did flow,

It's secrets now you ought to know.

"A giant threat will come this way,

And if it falls, no one can say,

Just how long this too will stand.

The fate of all is in your hand."

"The House of Red? Red Riding Hood? There's nothing wrong with her. It's not her kingdom that's under attack. As far as I know, the trolls are only after us."

"A giant threat will come this way,

And if it falls, no one can say,

Just how long this too will stand.

The fate of all is in your hand."

"You know. I think I liked you better when you just sang about how you'd like to 'linger on my finger.'"

It was very late when Wolf finally came in. Virginia was still wide awake, sitting thoughtfully in the dark. The wolves outside were silent now.

Wolf thought Virginia might be asleep, so he opened the door to their room as quietly as he could and tried closing it with the same stealth.

But just before he pushed it to, Virginia said, "I guess everybody agreed."

"You're up."

"You didn't really expect me to sleep, did you? So what great plans did you make?"

"We're leaving at first light. The Chancellor told me the trolls have been attacking mostly at night. They don't mind fighting at that time of the day as much as humans do. So, it gives them an advantage. If we push hard tomorrow we can get close to Kissing Town before dusk. Then we can take a short rest and join the fight when it gets dark."

"Does Wendell know you're coming?"

"The Chancellor is sending word. I'm leading the main force in the center. Rose is taking the right flank and an old pure-blooded gray wolf by the name of Carpathian, is taking the left."

"So Rose is going?"

"Yes. Would you be happier if I asked her to stay?"

"No. I'd be happier if you were the one staying."

"You think I want to be away from you?"

"No," Virginia admitted weakly. "But what a rotten honeymoon."

Wolf sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. "I know. But it's for Wendy. And our son."

"Be careful."

"I will. And we'll be back soon. You'll see."

"Better be."

They were silent for a moment, just snuggling close to each other.

Then Virginia said, "Oh, our friend the ring made some new predictions tonight."

He was afraid to ask. "About what?"

"I don't know. Something about the House of Red, a giant threat, and some old secrets."

"Secrets?"

"Yeah, I think it has to do with Red Riding Hood. The ring wants us to uncover the truth."

"About what?"

"I don't know. He's not real good on details. Go on, Ring, tell Wolf what you told me."

The ring glowed a little brighter and started to sing,

"First, you sing your bugle call,

Or one by one they all will fall.

Then you'll see the House of Red,

And all will hear what has been said.

"Lastly, come to fight the foe,

And the rest, you then will know.

The ground will shake, if you succeed,

And then no more will have to bleed."

"That's not exactly what he told me," Virginia said. "I think that was the shortened version. Like I said, he's not much on details." She also wanted to say that she didn't care much for his rhymes, but she didn't want to insult the ring.

"Well, there's not much more we can do tonight anyway."

"You sound tired," Virginia said, stroking the lengthing beard on his cheek. His beard seemed to grow so much faster than the average man's. No matter how often he shaved, he seemed to have a perpetual five o'clock shadow.

"Very. I need all the sleep I can get. We have a long march tomorrow."

Virginia helped Wolf out of his clothes and tucked him into bed. Then, she lay by his side listening to his steady breathing and holding him close, savoring every minute she had with him before he went away.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**Dreams of Conquest**

It had been a long night of fighting, but the end to the troll's first goal was in sight. They were near the foot of the hill where Snow White's coffin lay. Once they took that, they would be inside Kissing Town. With this major victory, King Relish's children were sure of their ultimate success. One by one, each town would fall till all of Wendell's kingdom would belong to them.

In the cool of the morning, the troll army set up guards around their periphery and sent a few spies into the woods to keep an eye on Wendell's troops. They didn't expect much action from the other side because it was hard for the humans to adjust to fighting all night and sleeping all day. The troll army, though, had a heft supply of magic mushrooms to help spur them on at night. To relax during the day, they smoked a little dwarf moss. Not too much, mind you. Or it would cloud the mind.

Burly, Blabberwort, and Bluebell met at the top of the hill just across from the one they intended to take that night. They were in high spirits, in more than one way. They kept a tight control on how much dwarf moss they allowed the troops. But they figured they weren't under any such restrictions.

Blabberwort was the supplier. She always was. First she passed out supplies to the troops and then she and her brothers threw aside their armor and made themselves comfortable on the ground.

"It was a great battle," Blabberwort said, rolling some dwarf moss and passing it to her older brother Burly.

"Yes," Burly agreed, "Wendell's men are running before us like frightened sheep."

"More like frightened lambs, I would say," said Bluebell. He took the dwarf moss his sister handed him and laid back on the grass.

"Should we move into Wendell's castle after we take it?" Blabberwort asked, "Or should we just burn it to the ground."

"I was thinking maybe I would live in it," Burly said, "I'm the oldest. I should have my own castle."

"What about our castle?" Bluebell asked sitting up a bit, "What about the one where Dad ruled? It's been in the family for centuries."

"Exactly. It's old. I want something newer."

"I intend to build one over there, on the top of Snow White's Hill," Blabberwort said, "So, everybody will know, a new great queen has come to Kissing Town. Bluebell, if you want, you can have the family castle."

"But don't be surprised if you're there by yourself," Burly said. "I don't think any of the trolls will want to stay in our old kingdom once they have this one. Think of all the cows we can keep."

"Yeah! And cows mean leather," Blabberwort said, her eyes shining, "Lots and lots of leather. And that means lots and lots of shoes." She looked up at the sky and smiled. "Hey, look. There's a cow now, flying over that tree. You see him?"

"No," Burly said, "I see a beautiful girl. And she's flying like she wants me to follow her. Real nicey nice."

"What girl?" Bluebell said, looking hard. He obviously hadn't had enough dwarf moss yet.

"You think the giants will care if we leave the Third Kingdom to them?" Burly asked.

"Naw," Blabberwort said, "They probably won't even notice, just as long as I send them their regular shipments of magic mushrooms and dwarf moss. They get real cranky when they don't get it."

"Do they use a lot of it?" Bluebell asked.

"Are you kidding?" Blabberwort said. "Anything a giant uses, he uses a lot of. Most of them still favor regular alcohol but several have moved on to the harder stuff. They're my biggest customers. Get it? Biggest customers?" Blabberwort laughed uproariously at her own thin joke.

"I don't get it," Bluebell says.

"Ah, you're even dumber than you look," Burly said.

"No I'm not!" Bluebell protested, "Daddy always said that was impossible."

Suddenly, the bushes parted and a short, squat, dirty looking troll appeared. He raised his sword in greeting and said, "Your Majesties."

"Can't you see we're resting?" Blabberwort said, "Go away!"

"But I have news."

"What kind?" Burly asked, rising to his feet unsteadily. "Is it important. It better be, or you'll pay for disturbing us with your life." He unsheathed his sword and swung it as threateningly as he could.

The soldier was unafraid. He knew Burly couldn't hit the broad side of a dragon in his condition. "We've caught a courier trying to bring a message into King Wendell's camp."

"A courier?" Blabberwort said. She was trying hard to focus her eyes on the soldier.

"Bring him here!" Burly commanded. I'm just in the mood for a good torture. We'll find out what his message was and then kill him."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," the soldier said.

"What? You let him get away?"

"No, of course not. But we got a little overzealous in questioning him and he died in the process."

Blabberwort shook her head at her older brother. When would these stupid underlings learn. Business before pleasure. First you question, then you kill.

"Stupid idiot!" Burly yelled. "Don't you know better than to rush a torture."

"Yeah!" Bluebell said.

Burly swung his sword at the soldier again. "Now we'll never know what kind of message he was bringing to King Wendell."

"Well, actually, he was carrying a letter."

"Then we might still be able to thwart their plans," Blabberwort said.

"Why didn't you say that in the beginning?" Burly demanded. "What did it say?"

"Don't know your Majesties. None of us can read."

"Oh, suck an elf!" Burly said, "You guys are all idiots! Hand it over."

The soldier handed over the letter. It was crumpled and dirty, with dabs of blood on the corner from the hesitant courier. "Your Majesties." He raised his sword again in salute and disappeared back through the bushes

.

Blabberwort got to her feet and peered over Burly's arm to read the letter.

"What does it say?" Bluebell asked.

"To his Majesty, King Wendell, Monarch of the Fourth Kingdom," Burly read outloud."

"Kind of formal, don't you think?" Blabberwort said.

"I am traveling at once with new recruits to help you in the defense of Kissing Town. You will know us by the distinct sound of our bugle call. Signed, Wolf."

"Not that guy again," Bluebell said.

"New recruits. How many do you suppose he's bringing?" Blabberwort asked.

"Who cares?" Burly said, throwing the letter over his shoulder. "Untried troops who don't know how to fight at night? They won't stand a chance against us!"

"Yeah!" Bluebell agreed, lying back down on the grass.

"You got anymore of that dwarf moss? I wanna see if I can get that nicey nice lady to fly back over the trees."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

**The Defense of Kissing Town**

The battle at the foot of Snow White Hill didn't begin until well after dark. King Wendell had placed his troops thickly at its foot. The men on horseback were out in front, with the foot soldiers waiting behind them. Wendell could hear the clash of swords against armor and the whinnying of horses. But over all that, he could still pick out the cursing of the trolls as they pushed relentlessly forward.

Behind the hill, Kissing Town itself was completely quiet. Most of its inhabitants had fled. The few that remained stayed locked indoors. Wendell had decided to keep only one or two soldiers in the town itself because he felt he needed every man to fight back the trolls. As the battle raged, he was at the top of Snow White Hill, standing next to the glass coffin that was displayed there. He was remembering his grandmother and wondering what to do next. What would he do if the trolls took the hill? Would he stand here and defend it till he himself was killed?

"Your Majesty?" It was Wendell's first Lieutenant, a good man who had served in the army all his life.

"Yes, Burke."

"I just thought you should know. The trolls are pushing our horsemen back. Pretty soon they'll be starting up the hill."

This wasn't good. Wendell had hoped his horsemen would be able to hold the trolls at bay. But he knew from the new sounds coming up the hill now, that the trolls were making a point of killing the horses and then going for the soldiers. "Very well," the King said, "Prepare the ground troops. Under no circumstances can we let them take this hill. Kissing Town must not fall!"

Burke saluted his King and went off to give the order.

Wendell, alone again with the sounds of war in front of him, knelt before the glass coffin and prayed for guidance. So great was his concentration that when he heard his name, it took him a minute to realize who it was.

"Wendy," a familiar voice said behind him.

The King raised his head and turned. "Wolf?" Now he was springing to his feet. "Wolf, what are you doing here? We're in the middle of a war!"

"I know that. That's why I'm here. Didn't you get my message?"

"Message? What message?"

"I guess the trolls intercepted it. I sent you a message that I was bringing you new recruits."

"I can't just take on new recruits in the middle of a battle."

"From the way things sound, I don't think you have a choice." It was true. The sounds of battle were getting closer and closer. The agonized cries of dying men were starting to fill the air. "I smell blood, lots of it. And it's mostly human."

Wendell said nothing, but his face screwed up in distaste. He was remembering the time of his enchantment, when the Evil Queen had turned him into a dog and he had smelled human blood on the coat of the man who had killed his granddaughter in Little Lamb Village. It was a horrible smell. How great the stench must be now, in the heat of battle, with men falling at every side.

Wolf sensed some of what Wendell was feeling, but there wasn't time to commiserate. "I have a large battalion of troops with me," he said, "Waiting for my call."

"What kind of weapons are they carrying?"

"None. They don't need any, the lead troops, anyway. Those like me are carrying swords. My sister is leading a second troop on the right side of the hill."

"Your sister!" Wendell was horrified. "Is she here?"

"Yes, like I said, she's leading a troop on the right side of the hill. There's a third troop also. This one is on the left side, led by an old wolf named Carpathian."

"Who?"

"Oh, you probably don't remember him. But he was chief wolf over the pack in the woods by your castle."

"Carpathian?"

"Yeah, I know it's unusual. But these older wolves like long formal sounding names. They think it gives them prestige. You know, by the way, you really shouldn't have left the town itself unprotected. I didn't see one soldier there when I came up. But don't worry. I don't think the trolls have tried to encircle you. If they had, my troops would have come across them already and would have signaled."

Wendell looked at Wolf as if he were a madman. He still had no idea what he was trying to tell him. Untried troops without weapons?

The tall thin figure of Lieutenant Burke suddenly appeared out of the shadows. "Your Majesty. The trolls have started up the hill."

Wendell took in the information and hesitated.

Immediately, Wolf stepped in. "Tell your men, to hold their line," he said, "I will howl once to get my troops into place here on the hill. Then, there will be another howl on the right side near the bottom telling us everything's all right down there. That will be followed by a third howl from the left. The fourth howl will be mine. And that will be the call to charge. At that point, your men should fall back and let my troops in. You'll know they're coming because they'll make an awful lot of noise. But don't worry, none of your men will get hurt. My troops won't have any difficulty telling humans apart from trolls. They're going to try and push the trolls down the hill and surround them at the bottom. With any luck they'll divide them and send them running."

Lieutenant Burke stood with his mouth open, looking hard at the shadowy figure of Wolf in the dim light of the quarter moon.

"Do it," King Wendell said.

As Burke went down the hill, Wolf stepped forward and gave a long loud howl.

Suddenly, a large contingency of wolves moved silently out of the shadows. Wendell couldn't believe how many of them there were. He hadn't even sensed their presence a moment before. They were like dark ghosts moving across the top of the hill.

There was a pause. And then, at the foot of the hill on the right, came an answering howl, long, strong, and higher pitched. It in turn was followed by a third howl from the left. This one had a deep bass quality to it.

Out of the shadows came more figures. These looked human but the glow of their yellow eyes, told the truth. They gathered around Wolf and pushed forward with him toward the edge of the hill.

"Yip, yip, yip. Yoowwooo!" Wolf howled now. And the charge began.

The wolves at the top and bottom of the hill picked up the call and repeated it. The sound got louder and louder. And louder still, till it seemed to shake the very hill itself.

The trolls stopped in mid-ax blow.

Burly cried out, "Suck an elf! What's that!"

But no one answered him.

Rows and rows of furry bodies, began sailing through the air. Claws and teeth were bared and ready to sink into anything that smelled like troll. They were like demons coming out of the darkness, hungering for a fight. They knocked the trolls easily to the ground, separating them from their weapons. Now it was the trolls who were crying out in pain. But it was hard to hear them, because the howling of the wolves went on relentlessly. It came from everywhere and nowhere. To the trolls it sounded like the cries of hell itself.

The wolves were using sound as a weapon as well as teeth and claws. Their howls were also a form of simple communication, whereby Wolf could maintain contact with both Rose and Carpathian.

Wendell stood on the top of the hill, amazed at what was taking place. The wolves' surprise attack was scattering the trolls in every direction. Whatever battle plan they'd had was completely gone. Retreat was now the only thing on their minds.

Wolf saw the trolls running away and called out, "Yip, yip, Yowooo!" They're retreating. Pursue only.

The other wolves returned the call and immediately halted their attack. Instead they concentrated on chasing the trolls, only biting them in an effort to keep them moving. Carpathian howled that he and his troops would pursue them all the way to the border of the Third Kingdom. And Wolf howled back his consent.

"Yip, yow!" Wolf called. The battle is over. Return and bring the captives.

With that, silence began to return to the hill.

Since the full-blooded wolves had led the fighting, the part-wolves took care of most of the gathering up of prisoners and stray weapons. Wolf made sure everything and everybody was turned over to Lieutenant Burke before he made his way back up the hill to Wendell.

"It seems I have to thank you for saving my kingdom once again," Wendell told Wolf.

But Wolf waved the King's words aside. What he'd done was for all of them. Now he was tired and his voice was hoarse from howling. All he wanted was to find a grassy patch to lay down in.

Wendell patted Wolf on the back as he passed and gave the order to Lieutenant Burke for dinner to be passed out to the wolf soldiers.

"Thank you," Wolf whispered. But even more than food right then, he wished he could have laid down next to Virginia and put his head in her lap.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

**Retreat & Revenge**

The wolves chased the trolls much of the night and most of the morning. There wasn't much choice but to run. In the confusion of the surprise attack, the trolls had lost most of their weapons and supplies. It wasn't till they were near their own border that they were able to regroup. That was when the wolves pulled back, watching closely to see whether the trolls would step across into their own kingdom.

"What do we do now?" Blabberwort asked her brothers.

They were huddled on the edge of the river that divided their kingdom from Wendell's. Many of their people had already made the crossing back into their own territory. But Relish's children weren't quite ready to go. They washed their faces in the river and drank deeply between gasps.

"Suck an elf!" Burly said, "What a humiliating loss! They had us running like rabbits."

"Untried troops who don't know how to fight at night." Blabberwort quoted her older brother from the day before. "They won't stand a chance against us! Yeah! Not much." She had a deep bite on her right arm. She'd bandaged it on the run, but it was bleeding through. So, she washed it in the river and reapplied the bandage.

"How was I to know it was wolves he was talking about? Untried human troops would have fallen easily against us."

"Yeah," Bluebell agreed.

"We can't let it end like this," Blabberwort said, tightening her bandage with her teeth. "We've got to reorganize our people and immediately go back into battle."

"But do you think they will follow us?" Bluebell asked.

"Yeah, we got beat pretty bad," Burly said.

"Are we trolls or mice?" Blabberwort challenged

.

The two brothers thought for a minute.

"You don't think Dad would leave it like this, do you?" Blabberwort demanded.

"No. Don't suppose he would," Burly agreed. He dipped his hands into the water and wiped his face. "He'd want us to go right back in there and take the enemy!"

"Exactly. So, that's what we gotta do."

"But will they follow us?" Bluebell asked again.

"They will if they get some kind of immediate victory. And if we have a real bloody plan of action."

"Yeah, with lots of destruction!" Burly said. His eyes lit up with visions of burning castles and screaming captives.

"But what kind of victory can we give 'em?" Bluebell asked.

"You still got those magic powders of Dad's, right?"

"Yeah. Back at the castle."

"Good. There was one among them that I heard Dad talk about once. Some kind of fairy dust. It's the one in the little blue leather bag. I don't know exactly what it does. But he said he was keeping it in case he had an enemy he wanted to get rid of. Someone he wanted to have disappear permanently. No fuss, no mess, no body to get rid of, just poof and they'd be gone forever."

Burly nodded his head seriously. "Nicey nice. But who are we gonna get rid of? That Wolf guy? He's surrounded by a whole load of wolf soldiers. He'll be hard to get close to."

"Not him," Blabberwort said, giving her brother a shove. "That girl Virginia. She's the one who killed Dad. She's the one we should get rid of."

"Why don't we just kill her?" Bluebell asked.

"Because, if we kill her there'll be a body and a grave. Something to rally around, like that stupid glass coffin they got of Snow White's."

"Yeah," Burly agreed, "That's gross."

"Give 'em a body and they'll use it as a rallying cry for revenge. But, if she disappears, that guy Wolf will leave the army and go looking for her. Maybe he'll even go away forever!"

"Yeah," Burly agreed. He was getting it now. "And without their big hero, the wolves might not be so keen on following Wendell. Then he'll just have humans soldiers again."

"So, you see. In this way we get revenge for Dad and for the beating we got last night, all at the same time."

"But what if the wolves still decide to fight with Wendell, even after that Wolf guy is gone?"

"Don't worry. I've got a plan there. One that I think our people will like. Wendell isn't the only one who can get allies, you know. All we gotta do is make sure we got a giant supply of magic mushrooms and dwarf moss. Get what I mean." Blabberwort dug the elbow of her uninjured arm into Burly's ribs.

"Yeah," Burly said, "A nice GIANT supply."

"There's at least three of those guys that I think we can get on our side."

"Nicey nice."

"And once we got a few victories, others of their kind may join us too."

"But, but," Bluebell said, "The giants like getting high so much. Will they be able to fight good?"

"They don't need to be good fighters," Burly said. "With their size they can crush the enemy just by walking forward."

"Yeah," Blabberwort laughed. "What do we care if they stagger a bit while they do it? Burly, you go get our people together and lead them back into battle. We don't need a big war, just some little skirmishes to distract Wendell's troops for a few days. Meanwhile, I'll go see the giants and try to talk them around to our side. Then, if they say yes, we'll stop the fighting against Wendell and start making plans for our next campaign."

"Yeah, with our new allies," Burly said. "Our people will be real impressed if we get the giants to fight with us.

"It won't be all the giants yet, you understand. But I'm pretty sure about these three guys. They're always complaining about how nobody respects 'em anymore and how they'd like more say so in the Kingdoms."

"What about me?" Bluebell asked. "What do I do?"

"Oh," Blabberwort said. She put her arm around her little brother. "You have the most important job of all. You're the smallest and quickest, So, you're the one who's going to sneak into the Fourth Kingdom while Burly here distracts Wendell's army for a few days."

"I am?" Bluebell wasn't entirely sure if this was a good assignment or not.

"Yes. You go to Wendell's castle and look for that girl Virginia. She's probably there. And with the war going on here, Wendell probably hasn't left too many guards."

"Yeah," Burly agreed. "On account of he sent most of his forces down against us."

"You're going to throw that fairy dust over that girl Virginia and make her disappear forever. Once that is done, we can tell our people that our revenge against Dad's murderer is complete. That'll be victory number one."

"Yeah! Then we can get down to the really important stuff," Burly said, "Like total domination and the destruction of the Nine Kingdoms.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**Waiting**

Nearly a week had passed since Wolf and his soldiers had left to join King Wendell. Wolf had sent Virginia a letter by courier almost every day to keep her apprised of what was going on.

"The trolls were driven completely from Kissing Town and back over the border into the Third Kingdom," Wolf wrote in his first note. "But they've tried several times since then to return, charging across first in one place and then another. We've been kept real busy trying to keep them on their side of the river. They've got to tire of it sooner or later. I certainly have. My only desire is to return to you. Keep my side of the bed warm for me. Your adoring mate, Wolf. P.S., Rose sends her best."

Virginia was starting to gain weight noticeably now. The dresses King Wendell had given her on the day of her wedding were already too tight. So, she put them in the back of her closet to wear after the baby was born and ordered several new dresses from the Royal Couturier in progressively larger sizes just as Rose had suggested. It was lucky the couturier was still in the castle. Lord Rupert had taken it upon himself to bribe the man handsomely to stay during the conflict.

"There are just some things a civilization needs if it is to stay intact," Lord Rupert had said. "A good couturier is one of them.

Tony spent most days in his inventor's workshop, in the company of Lord Rupert and one other helper. The plans for his cannons were finished. And they had started to assemble the needed materials. Lord Rupert had sent word to the Dwarf King as to the metals they would need and they were eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Virginia filled her days walking in the woods in front of the castle. The weather was turning progressively colder and she wore a heavy full-length woolen shawl over the long skirt and loose top that had become her walking outfit. Most of the wolves had left the forest, either to follow Wolf or to find a winter den for their cubs. So, she rarely met anyone else on her walks. But it didn't matter. Somehow she felt closer to Wolf there among the trees.

She went at all hours. In daylight, she reread the four letters he'd sent her. At night she watched the growing moon. It was half full now. Not bright enough to read her letters by, but bright enough to walk without tripping. She carried her letters with her, fingering them over like magic talismans.

Tony had told her that she shouldn't go walking in the woods by herself, especially at night. After all, they were at war. He felt she should stay close to the castle. But Virginia ignored him. It was just too hard to face her empty bed.

On the night that Bluebell finally made his way to Wendell's castle, there were a few clouds below the moon. He had the pouch of fairy dust with him. And he intended to gain entrance to the castle through the same window that he and his siblings had escaped through on the night of Wendell's coronation.

He didn't know anything about Virginia's frequent walks. If he had, he would simply have stayed in deep cover and waited for her. Instead, he followed the edge of the woods where it met the courtyard and headed in the general direction of the castle's service entrance.

An ancient full-blooded country wolf by the name of Culpepper, happened to be out also on that evening, searching for rabbits in the underbrush. He caught scent of the troll and followed him. What he should have done was raise the alarm. But it had been a blow to Culpepper's masculine pride when the wolf army had left him behind. He yearned to prove he was still a wolf to be reckoned with. So, when he caught scent of Bluebell, he thought he would capture him by himself and become a hero.

It was just near the reflecting pool in the courtyard that he made his charge. The first leap was good, full of energy and right on the mark. But in the tussle with the much younger troll, he quickly tired. Bluebell pulled out a long knife and began stabbing the old wolf.

Culpepper yelped pitifully with each blow, till he lay quietly at the foot of the fountain. His cries had been heard by both Virginia, who was just coming out of the castle, and a mother wolf, who had been foraging at the edge of the wood. They both came running.

Virginia was the first to arrive. She didn't have a weapon. But she positioned herself on one side of Bluebell and started shouting for the guards. The mother wolf bared her teeth and growled threateningly, trying to block Bluebell from returning to the woods.

The troll was a little flustered, but he was ready. The little blue leather bag of fairy dust was tied to his waist by a string. He broke it off and threw the dust over Virginia. "That's for Dad!" he yelled.

The dust floated up into the air and over its intended victim, glowing eerily as it moved. The mother wolf stopped growling. She knew she was watching some terrible kind of magic, but she didn't know what. The voices of the castle guards were now getting close. Bluebell turned and ran just as the outline of Virginia's form disappeared completely from view.

The mother wolf dashed forward and sniffed the spot where Virginia had been standing. Then she howled mournfully.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

**Aftermath**

Tony never heard the commotion. He was in his workshop with Lord Rupert and the Royal Blacksmith. They were discussing the raw materials that they were going to need for the cannons.

The blacksmith was about Tony's age, with huge muscles on his arms and a personality as dull as the metals he fashioned. But he was good at his business and he quickly understood what was expected of him. He couldn't imagine the exploding side of the cannon, nor quite how effective it would be as a weapon. But the mechanics itself he understood.

They had almost finished when there was a knock on the door of the workshop.

Tony sighed and called, "Come in." He looked as tired as he felt.

The Chancellor came in, accompanied by the mother wolf that had been with Virginia when she disappeared.

"Excuse me, Lord Lewis," the Chancellor said, "But I need to have a word with you."

"You think it could wait?" Tony said distractedly. "We're almost finished here and I really would like to get this done tonight."

"No, it can't," the Chancellor said. "I don't think the Royal Blacksmith will mind if you finish this up at a later date."

The Blacksmith saw the look on the Chancellor's face and packed up his stuff immediately. "I'll make a start tomorrow," he told Tony as he picked up copies of the plans they'd been going over. "You can stop by and see how it's coming."

"All right," Tony said. He too had seen the Chancellor's expression. Not that the man ever cracked a smile anyway. He had three basic looks, serious, more serious, and extremely serious. His present grimace fit into the third category. It had to be bad news. Very bad news.

The Chancellor waited till the door had closed behind the blacksmith before he started speaking. "There's been an accident," he said in a controlled voice. Accident seemed such a strange way to put it. But he didn't know what else to say.

"An accident." Tony's mind flew. His first thought was of Wolf. Had they come to tell him that Wolf had been injured or killed in the war? "Wolf. Is he all right?"

"Oh, he's fine, as far as we know. It's your daughter."

Tony was on his feet now, knocking over a pile of papers in the process. "Virginia? What's happened to her?"

"I'm afraid she's disappeared."

"Disappeared? What does that mean? You think she's been kidnapped?"

The Chancellor's eyes shifted about the floor as if looking for an answer, or at least better words. "No. She was on her way out for her evening walk when she and this lady wolf here surprised a troll in the act of killing another wolf. Your daughter raised the alarm, of course. And this lady wolf tried to keep the troll at bay. Unfortunately, he pulled out some sort of magic dust and threw it over Miss Virginia. The palace guards arrived just in time to see her disappear."

Tony started shaking. He'd been ready to hear about Wolf. But Virginia? He'd assumed she was safe.

"When did this happen?" Lord Rupert asked.

"Just now. I take it you didn't hear the commotion in the courtyard."

"Not a thing," Lord Rupert said.

"How do you know she didn't just walk off somewhere or run after the troll?" Tony asked.

"As I told you, the guards saw this bright dust falling around her and then she disappeared. This lady wolf was also on the scene."

"Yes," the wolf said. She turned her right eye toward Tony because she was a little blind in the left. It glinted bright yellow in the candlelight. "I was out hunting for food when I heard cries. I came running and arrived at the same time that Miss Virginia did. We could both tell at once that the troll had stabbed this other wolf to death. I assume it was because the wolf was trying to stop him from approaching the castle. I threatened the troll by growling and baring my teeth and Miss Virginia called for the guards. I thought we had him. I really did. Then suddenly he pulled out this powder and threw it over her. I knew it was magical by the way it sparkled. The guards were running up at that point. Their presence sent the troll back into the woods. But before he ran away he said something like, 'That's for Dad.' I don't know what that meant."

"It must have been one of Relish's children," the Chancellor said.

"Well, you still should have searched the woods," Tony insisted.

"We did," the Chancellor said, "Just to be certain. And this lady wolf checked as well. But we didn't find any sign of either Miss Virginia, or the troll."

"I followed the troll's scent for a while," the mother wolf said, "But it led straight off from the castle."

"Show me where she disappeared," Tony demanded.

"Of course," the Chancellor said.

They journeyed around the outside of the castle to the courtyard and came to a stop by the fountain. The body of the old wolf named Culpepper had been removed and a guard stationed at the spot.

"This is where she disappeared," the Chancellor said.

Tony looked down and saw the residue of some kind of glowing dust. He knelt to touch his hand to it. "What is this stuff?"

"As far as we can gather, it's some kind of fairy dust."

"What did it do to her?"

The Chancellor swayed uncertainly. "We really don't know, I'm afraid."

Tony rose to his feet and walked menacingly toward the Chancellor. "You don't know? What do you mean you don't know? Is she alive or dead?"

"I really couldn't say," the Chancellor said, countering backward. "But I'm sure she's not dead. Fairy dust doesn't contain the power to kill. Never."

"Oh, that's fine! Just fine! So, where is she?"

"We think it may be some kind of traveling powder."

"From the smell of it," the mother wolf said, "It's very old."

"So," Tony said, "you people don't just use mirrors to travel, you use magic dust too?"

"Only the fairies use it," the Chancellor said, "for long distance traveling. Your daughter may be off in another dimension or a distant land. She might even have gone into the future or into the past. This lady wolf says the powder is old. The fairies used to do a lot of time travel long ago."

"Oh, that's just great!" Tony yelled. "First she walks through a mirror, now it's fairy dust. Well, you just listen. I want your best man on this. I want her back."

Lord Rupert cleared his throat. He'd been silent till now. But it was obvious what they had to do. "I suggest we contact Queen Matilde at once."

"Who's she?" Tony asked.

"Matilde is Queen of the fairies," the Chancellor explained. "She's also the president of the Council of the Nine Kingdoms and the ruler of the Eighth Kingdom in the frozen north."

"That's an excellent idea," Tony said, still eyeing the Chancellor menacingly. "You get her on the phone or contact her by magic mirror or send her a message the old fashioned way. I don't care how you do it, just do it!"

"Only certain people have the power to use mirrors," the Chancellor said. "I'm afraid we don't have anyone on hand right now who could do that."

"I have a son," the mother wolf said. "He was too young to send to war. But he'd do an excellent job of carrying your message. The Eighth Kingdom is far away and the terrain is difficult once you reach it. My son could make the journey faster than a man on horseback."

"Yes," Lord Rupert said, making the decision for everybody. "Tell him to leave at once. Since she has a magic chariot, she can be here very quickly. And I'm sure she'll come at once when she hears that a troll has been throwing around fairy dust. If anyone can help, she can. In the meantime, I'm sure the Chancellor will see to it that this spot remains undisturbed."

"Yes, of course," the Chancellor said.

"I'll send my son at once," the mother wolf said, running off for the woods.

"As for you, Tony," Rupert continued. It was the first time he had called him by his first name. "There's nothing more we can do here tonight. I think it's time you went to bed." He took Tony by the shoulders and guided him toward the castle.

"What about Wolf?" Tony asked, coming to a stop. "He's got to be told."

"I'll send a messenger to the King," the Chancellor said.

"Tell Wolf to return immediately," Lord Rupert said. "But don't tell him why. Maybe we'll have more information before he gets here."

"As you say," the Chancellor agreed. But he thought it was only putting off the inevitable.

Tony went off with Rupert willingly after that. "What am I going to tell Wolf?" he asked. "He was counting on me to keep her safe? I told her not to go walking alone. But did she listen? Do children ever listen?"


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

**Alone**

When Virginia came to, she found herself lying on the ground in a deep dark wood. At first she couldn't remember what had happened. And then it began coming back to her.

A troll had killed a wolf. And she and another wolf had cornered him. It was funny because she'd recognized the troll. He was one of the three children of King Relish. If she remembered correctly, his name was Bluebell. The other two had nonsense names as far as she was concerned, but his was more normal. Or at least more ordinary. As far as she was concerned, it was pretty strange for an ugly troll to be named something pretty like Bluebell.

Slowly Virginia got to her feet. It was cold, much colder than it had been before. And so dark. There was only a sliver of moonlight breaking through the dense trees. Hadn't the moon been larger before? And where was Wendell's palace. The last thing she remembered was the troll throwing some kind of dust over her and then suddenly she was here. But where was here?

Virginia moved forward uncertainly. It seemed like an awfully deep wood, much thicker than the one around King Wendell's castle. She had no idea which direction to go in. Had that dust been magic of some kind? Had it transported her somewhere? She remembered the troll yelling something like, "That's for Dad." Where had he sent her?

Her engagement ring suddenly came to life on her hand and started singing.

"Though it's true you're far from home,

You're not quite so all alone.

Take a look and you will see,

That you still have little me."

Virginia pulled her hand away from her cloak and put the softly glowing ring up to her face. "I don't think I've ever been more happy to hear your voice," she said. "Where are we?"

"Instead of where, you should ask when,

For time has just turned back again.

The Second Kingdom this will be.

But not for some time soon, you see."

"We went back in time. Is that what you're saying? Boy, that was some strong magic. And if it's before the Second Kingdom, that means we're here before Little Red Riding Hood, right? That's more than two hundred years ago. So I haven't been born yet. And neither has Dad." Virginia laughed at that thought. But her next one wasn't quite so funny. "Or Wolf. He hasn't been born yet either." How lonely that made her feel. Her next thought of course was for the baby. She touched the little bulge in her stomach that was just developing. She and the ring weren't completely alone after all. She still had the baby.

"Whoever now you chance to meet," the ring warned,

"Don't tell them of this magic feat.

Don't tell them how you've traveled far.

Tell no one here, just who you are."

"Fine. So I shouldn't tell anyone where I came from. I can understand that. But where do I go now?"

The ring glowed a little brighter.

"A cabin in the woods does stand,

Not far from here, it's close at hand.

A woman lives there you must see,

And watch her choose their destiny."

"'Their' destiny? Not mine, huh? I get to watch somebody else have a destiny for a change. OK. It looks like I'm on some sort of path. How about I follow it? Is that all right with you?"

"A cabin in the woods does stand," the ring repeated,

"Not far from here, it's close at hand."

"I'll take that as a yes," Virginia said. Then she slipped her hand back into her cloak. It seemed to be getting colder by the minute. Was this the same time of year, she wondered. Or was she simply farther north?

She hadn't gone far before she saw a light in the window of a little cottage. It was sitting in an enormous clearing and looked as if it had a big barn at the back of it. "OK," Virginia said to the ring. "It looks like this is the place."

She felt a little nervous as she approached the door, but she tried to make her knock sound strong. She had no idea what time it was. The woman who lived in the cottage could possibly be asleep.

"Who is it?" a woman's voice called.

"Hi. My name is Virginia. I'm a traveler. I'm afraid I got lost in the woods and I wonder if you could help me."

The door opened abruptly and the face of a woman appeared. She was old enough to be Virginia's mother and had a bun of beige blond hair pinned securely at the top of her head. "A traveler? What are you doing in the woods at this time of night, child? You shouldn't be out alone. Come in, come in. You'll catch your death."

The woman pulled Virginia into the little cottage's sitting room. It was small, but warm, with only a few meager furnishings. "Don't you know how dangerous it is for a woman to be walking in the woods alone at night?"

"I'm beginning to," Virginia said. Going for a walk alone is what had gotten her into this mess. Why oh why hadn't she listened to her father?

"Come sit by the fire and warm yourself," the woman insisted. "Have you eaten?"

"A little earlier," Virginia said, sitting down heavily into a thick homemade cushion covered in patchwork. "But I didn't eat much." Worrying about Wolf had stunted her appetite.

"Well, I've got some porridge still on the fire, if you'd like some of that. Nice and hot. It'll get you warm."

"Oh, that would be very nice."

The woman smiled kindly and spooned up a healthy serving into a bowl. "And milk. I have plenty of goat's milk. I raise them, you know. I also grow a few vegetables in back in summer and make my own cheese. I trade the cheese for whatever else I need."

Virginia slurped the porridge down hungrily. "This is wonderful," she said.

"Eat as much as you like." The woman sat across from Virginia and looked her over carefully. The outfit Virginia had on was casual, but well made. To the woman, the cloth seemed to be of a much finer quality than her own homespun. "Where are you from?"

"The east," Virginia said, trying to remember the general location where King Wendell's castle would be eventually. "And maybe a little south."

"Ah." The woman seemed to like that answer. "There's a lot of farm land there. You must be a farmer."

"Not really, no. My father's an inventor of sorts."

"And your husband? I see you've got a wedding band and a fancy engagement ring."

Virginia thought quickly. The ring had told her not to tell people who she really was. That probably included the truth about Wolf. "My husband is a soldier. He's off fighting the trolls." She didn't know what the trolls were doing in this time, but it was pretty safe to guess that they were fighting a war against somebody.

"Ah, yes." The woman nodded knowingly. "I've heard how they're warring in the east. Has your husband been gone long?"

"No. He just left. I'm traveling to find my father. I thought I'd stay with him till the war was over. But he moved from the last address I had for him."

"So, you think he's come up this way. Makes sense. We're trying to start a real farming community here. The ground's not always willing. But if you put your back to it, you can do well enough. We've been sending out word that there's plenty of land to be had here. All you've got to do is clear it. You just watch. One day all these woods will be gone and there'll be nothing but farmland as far as the eye can see. We'll make a great farming kingdom that'll rival anything you've got in the east. You'll see."

Virginia nodded. She felt warm and comfortable. She leaned back in her chair and let the cloak fall back around her. Without thinking she patted her slightly swollen stomach.

The older woman watched her movements thoughtfully. "Forgive me for asking, but you're wearing loose clothing and developing just a bit of tummy. Are you expecting?"

Virginia smiled and blushed. "Yes," she said.

"Thought so. It's hard to keep a fact like that from an old woman like me who's had her share of younguns. Does your father know yet?"

"Yes, he does."

The woman rocked slightly. "I'll bet he's proud. I have a cute little granddaughter, just a year old. Her name is Pearl and she's the light of my life. By the by, my name is Emerald.

"I'm Virginia."

"Glad to meet you. You're just about the age of my daughter, you know."

"Yes?"

"Her name's Opal. She's married to a farmer in the village, two years now. He's a nice young man, with a nice little tract of land. He's planning on cutting down more of the woods around him next spring and extending his acreage. The ground's not as fertile here as it is in the east where you come from, so you need to plow more land to make a profit."

"If you admire farming so much, why do you raise goats instead?"

"I was a farmer," Emerald said with pride. "I came here with my parents a long time ago. They cleared the land and raised peas and onions. Then I met my husband, Henry. He chose this property here in the woods. Said with the little river running through it, we'd never have to worry about the crops lacking for water. You see, he'd figured out a way to bring it to the fields. I guess he was something of an inventor like your father. We were going to clear more and more of the land over time and build a big prosperous farm. Only, typhoid got him. Left me here with two children to raise. I couldn't run the farm by myself, so I changed to goats. They're ornery critters who can take care of themselves, not like sheep. Henry had already cleared a lot of land. I guess you saw that when you came up to the house. I let it go and use it as grazing land for the goats now." Emerald stopped to reflect a moment. "Henry was a good man and a good farmer. He was tall and thin like a sapling. With thick red hair and this stubborn beard that just wouldn't stay shaved."

"You said you had two children," Virginia said.

Emerald's whole demeanor suddenly changed. She sat bolt upright and said quickly, "My elder girl, Topaz, is dead."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. She's dead and that's that. All I've got left is Opal and my little granddaughter." Emerald fell silent for a moment and then softened. "This place is mighty empty. Why don't you stay on for awhile? You could send out word asking about your father. And start off when you're more sure of where he is. It's not good for a girl to be traveling alone in these woods. The place is full of wolves. They'd as soon eat you as look at you. Or maybe worse." Emerald leaned in far toward Virginia, her eyes catching the firelight for the first time. They blazed a bright clear green.

"Why sure, I'd like that," Virginia said. At the same time she was repeating Emerald's last words to herself. "Or maybe worse." What was that supposed to mean? "To tell the truth," Virginia continued, "I don't have any idea how long it'll be before I find my father."


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

**Other Battles**

It wasn't till late the next day that a messenger arrived at King Wendell's campsite with the note from the Chancellor for Wolf. The King and his troops had fought a number of battles early the night before. But then suddenly everything had quieted down on the troll side. Wendell decided to use the time to go over troop deployment with Lieutenant Burke, and his three new Captains, Wolf, Carpathian, and Rose. They were all four bending over a map when the messenger arrived.

The disheveled man had obviously been riding hard without a break. In fact, he'd only stopped once to change horses. He was both tired and thirsty, but he'd gone on anyway. He was one of the palace guards. He'd been off duty when Virginia had disappeared, sleeping so he could take the day shift. When they'd asked him to go, however, he'd gone immediately without question. He had seen the influx of wolves come into the kingdom and their reaction to Wolf as a hero. He had been on hand during the day of Wolf and Virginia's wedding. He'd cheered when he'd heard about the trouncing the trolls had gotten from Wolf's battalion. And he'd seen Virginia make her daily trek into the woods to reread her letters from her husband. Truth was, the messenger had just been married himself. And he thought how bad he'd feel if his wife had suddenly gone missing while he was off somewhere.

As per the Chancellor's order, the messenger placed the note directly into the hands of the King. "He'll know what to do," the Chancellor had said. "And how to put things."

"Your Majesty," the messenger said. "It's from the Chancellor."

Wendell looked at the state of the messenger and decided the note must be important. "Just a minute," he told the others. Then he stood off to one side to read.

The note was short and to the point. "Mr. Wolf is needed back at the castle at once. Please release him and send him by horseback. It concerns his wife."

Wendell read the note twice and considered. It didn't sound good, whatever it was about. The Chancellor had been careful to leave out any real information. But surely if something dire had happened, the messenger would know. "Excuse me for a minute, will you?" the King said to the others. He then took the arm of the messenger and led him back to his horse where he was sure they wouldn't be overheard. "Now, what's this all about?" the King asked. His tone of voice left no doubt in the messenger's mind that he intended to hear the whole story.

The Chancellor had ordered the messenger not to tell Wolf what had happened. But he'd said nothing about keeping it from the King.

At the other end of the field, Wolf and his compatriots watched the serious discussion going on between the King and the messenger.

"That doesn't look good," Wolf said.

"You think the trolls have been distracting us here, so they could stage an attack on the castle?" Rose asked. She had a natural military mind and had begun to wonder if the assault and run tactics the trolls had been using the last couple of days could be a ruse for something else.

"But a large army would have been noticed," Carpathian pointed out.

"Maybe they sent a small group," Rose said.

Lieutenant Burke said nothing. It wasn't his job to conjecture.

At last the King returned. "Wolf," he said, "could I speak to you?"

Wolf's mouth went dry as he followed off behind Wendell. It can't be about the battle, he thought. What could Wendy have to say about the battle that he couldn't say in front of the others. It had to be personal. And that could only mean one thing.

"Wolf," Wendell said gently, "something has happened."

A stab of fear went through Wolf's heart. "It's Virginia, isn't it? Something's happened to her."

"Now, we don't quite know what's happened to her yet. But we're doing the best we can. And the Chancellor feels you should return to the castle at once."

Wolf reached out and gripped Wendell's arm. "Is she sick?"

"No. And she's not dead, as far as we know."

"Then what's happened to her?" Wolf's eyes were starting to turn a wide yellow.

Wendell debated for a moment as to whether he should tell his friend the whole story or not. But if he didn't, wouldn't he only imagine even worse things? On the other hand, what could be worse? "She's disappeared," Wendell said. In his most controlled kingly attitude, he told Wolf the whole story so far as he knew it.

"I've got to go," Wolf said. His eyes were darting around in panic and he breathed in short gasps.

"Yes, you should. I'll have a horse brought up immediately. But you can't go alone. Take one of the wolves with you, one of the pureblooded ones preferably. They can move quickly and keep a sharp lookout for trouble."

Wolf nodded. "Rose and Carpathian can take over my troops," he said as he ran off.

As Wolf prepared to leave, Wendell explained what had happened to the rest of his staff. "Wolf has indicated that he'd like Rose and Carpathian to remain on to watch over his troops. Is that agreeable to you?"

The three of them nodded as one.

"Good," Wendell said. But he paused for a moment and then added, "Rose. Are you sure you wouldn't rather return with your brother?"

Rose seemed startled by the question, but her answer came quickly. "I'm sure I'd only be in the way," she said.

"On the contrary," Wendell said, "I'm sure you'd be a great comfort to him."

"If that were so, he wouldn't have suggested I help take over his troops. He would have asked me to come with him."

Wendell couldn't argue with that. "Quite right. You'll be staying here then?"

"Yes," she said.

"I just, uh, wouldn't want to hold you here if you wanted to go."

"I appreciate that. But I led my troops this far. I think I'd be amiss to leave them now."

"Quite right," he said, giving up the battle. "It's decided then. You and Carpathian will divide Wolf's troops among you and take command by nightfall. We'll continue the same pattern of surveillance tonight, with the wolves watching the outside perimeter."

Lieutenant Burke and Carpathian walked away, but Rose remained. She obviously felt there was unfinished business between them.

"Excuse me, your Majesty," she said.

Wendell saw how determined and erect she stood. This was one subject that fully intended to speak her mind. "Miss Rose?" he politely.

"Were you trying to tell me you wanted me to go?"

"No," Wendell said, a bit flustered. "I was, uh, just trying to give you the, uh, opportunity to leave if that was what you wanted."

"Does my being here make you uncomfortable?"

What a question? How was he supposed to answer that? How could anyone be comfortable around that mass of red hair and those deer skin trousers she wore? Her jacket was long and covered a lot of area around the thigh. But the whole effect was still entirely too provocative. How was he supposed to concentrate on fighting trolls with her around? "Of course not," he lied. "It was just that, um. Well, I mean, after all, Miss Virginia didn't come. I thought perhaps that you, uh, might be happier and, uh, safer back at the castle."

"The castle wasn't all that safe for Virginia," Rose said wryly. "And she remained behind because she was expecting a child. If you haven't noticed, wolves fight and hunt together. The only ones who stay home are the old and infirm, the very young, and those nursing cubs. I am none of those. So, my place is here with my people."

"Yes, of course."

"Unless you find it uncomfortable to have me here."

Wendell turned away, trying not to look at her. "I, um," he stuttered again.

"I've sensed from the beginning that you weren't happy about my being here. Is it because I'm a woman? There are other she-wolves here, half-blooded like me, as well as full-blooded. You haven't talked about sending any of them home. Or is it because I'm the only woman in a command position?"

He turned back to look at her and saw the brilliance in her green eyes. Nothing but the truth would satisfy her. But how much could he say? "I don't want to send any of the she-wolves home," he said carefully. "And I've never had a better Captain at the head of my troops than you. You have a feeling for the military. I'd be, uh." He stuttered around looking for words. "I mean I feel, uh." Again what he meant evaded him. "I know I'd be a fool to let you go," he said finally. That's as much as he could say. In fact, he was afraid he'd said more than he'd meant to.

Rose understood. She felt the force of his words and the feelings underneath. From what Virginia had told her, Wendell had been little more than a princely pup when they'd first met two months before, just after he'd been turned into a dog. But with each crisis he'd become more of a man and more of a King. He'd obviously grown to a point where he'd overcome his prejudices enough to accept a wolf as a friend and laud him as a hero. But he hadn't grown enough to accept having romantic feelings for one. As for her, a wolf's heart, once lost was almost impossible to regain. It would be safest to go now, before a greater attachment developed on her side. But there were other things to consider. Namely, her people. She had come here to fight with them, to die if necessary. And with Wolf gone, it was her family responsibility to stay and continue the work he had begun. The family honor was at stake. To a wolf, family came first, above all else. She would have to ignore her own feelings.

"I'm sorry," she said. It was her turn to look away now. "I'll stay out of your way as much as I can. But it's my duty to remain." With that she turned and started to go. Then, she turned back abruptly. "I think the fighting here will fall back for awhile. I have a suspicion that the last week's skirmishes have been about covering their planned revenge on Virginia."

"Then, you think the war is over?" Wendell asked.

"No. When an animal is contemplating a fight, its hackles rise and it gives off a very definite aroma. That stench is coming very strongly from across the troll border. They've pulled back and may even seem to have given up the fight. But I can still sense the aggression. They may even put off fighting for a long while, in the hopes that we'll pull up stakes and return home. But we'd be fools to do that. You can ask Carpathian if you don't believe me. He's a wolf too. He'll know." She turned and walked away again, this time not turning back.

Wendell watched her go, wondering which of the battles ahead he dreaded more, the one with the trolls or the one with his emotions.


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

**Queen Matilde**

Wolf rode through the last hour of daylight and all through the night as well, stopping only once at Kissing Town to change horses. The town was trying hard to get back to normal. Wolf could see the lights in the Lucky-at-Love Casino glittering brightly. It was running once more, separating some visitors from their money and showering windfalls on others. He didn't stop to remember the first time he'd been there with Virginia or the battle that had happened on Snow White Hill so recently. He had other things on his mind. His business was with the local stable where Wendell kept several horses for the use of his messengers and such. Wolf intended to change horses and get out of there as quickly as possible.

One young stable hand recognized him as he prepared to mount the new horse. "Hey, I know you," he said eagerly. "You're that Wolf guy. I saw you and all those wolves go up Snow White Hill on the night the trolls attacked. I was at me mum's. Hardly anyone stayed in town but us, truth be told. Most of the others high-tailed it. I'd be right honored if you'd stop and have a beer with me at the tavern. I know a lotta the lads would like to meet you. What d'ya say?"

Wolf tried to turn him down politely, but he was so distracted. "Can't. Thank you," he said breathlessly. "Family emergency. My wife." And off he went again, with the pureblooded wolf that had been named as his escort, following close at the horse's heels.

"Who's that?" An older stableman asked as they raced off into the night.

"Don't you know?" the eager young man said, "That was Wolf, the half-wolf who helped liberate Kissing Town from the trolls last week. He also helped save the Nine Kingdoms from the Evil Queen. He's a national hero, he is. He and all the wolves who fought with him."

"Ah," the older man said in disgust. He spat on the ground and wiped his dirty hands on his overalls. "Those wolves just did what they do best, kill. We're just lucky it was the trolls they were fighting and not us."

The younger man answered with a brusque wave of his hand, thus declaring an end to the discussion. There was no point in arguing. They had a long night of work ahead.

Wolf finally reached Wendell's castle at daybreak. It was a cool cloudy morning with a growing breeze coming in from the North. When he reached the courtyard, he jumped off his horse and ran to the spot where Virginia had disappeared. A guard was standing watch over it. Most of the fairy dust had blown away by then, but they hadn't been able to wash away every trace of Culpepper's blood from the flagstones.

Even if Wolf hadn't been told the full story of what had happened, he would still have come to this spot. Virginia's scent led directly here and then drifted off in a direction he didn't know how to follow. It was as if a giant door had suddenly closed between them. A door that maddeningly seemed to have no entry.

"Virginia?" Wolf called plaintively. "Virginia." He knelt on the ground and desperately began sniffing. He began to whine, scratching at the stones, as if trying to pull them up. There had to be a way to follow her. There had to be. Tears filled his eyes and fell to the dusty ground. His whines got louder until they became great brokenhearted howls.

The pureblooded wolf and the guard, exchanged glances and shuffled their total of six feet in various ways. They had no idea what to do or how to comfort him. Wolf just continued howling.

At last the guard said, "I'll go get the Chancellor. You stay here."

The pureblooded wolf nodded and panted slightly. There wasn't much for him to do but stand by.

As it turned out, the castle had already been alerted to Wolf's return, even before he'd started howling. Lord Rupert had been watching from a third story window since before first light. He felt his position in the castle quite an important one, perhaps even greater than that of the Chancellor's. And he had decided to take control in this crisis. Who better? After all, he was the one who worked closest with Lord Lewis and he had been the arranger of Wolf and Virginia's wedding. He had special ties to this family. And he was sure the King would expect him to take an active role.

"Mr. Wolf has returned!" Rupert yelled to everyone within earshot as he hurried through the upper hallways and down the stairs. "Notify the Chancellor and Lord Lewis at once! Quick, quick! No time to loll about."

By the time the guard reached the castle door, Lord Rupert was already there to meet him. He roughly turned the man about by the shoulders and pushed him back into the courtyard. "Everyone's been advised," Rupert said. "They'll be here momentarily."

Wolf was still on the ground, almost incoherent now in his whining and weeping.

"Mr. Wolf," Rupert said carefully. "You remember me. It's Lord Rupert. I helped plan your wedding?"

Wolf didn't answer. He just kept scratching at the ground.

"Dear me," Rupert said. "The poor man's lost his mind. I thought they weren't going to tell him what happened till he got here."

"It was the King," the pureblooded wolf replied.

"Just like him," Rupert said in disgust. "Thinks because he's king he can say anything and somehow it'll all come out sounding all right. Doesn't he realize I'M the one with the sensitivity around here? They should have let me tell him."

The pureblooded wolf and the guard exchanged looks again, but said nothing.

That's when the Chancellor and Tony arrived on the scene.

"Mr. Wolf?" the Chancellor said.

But still Wolf didn't react.

"The poor chap has lost his mind," Lord Rupert repeated. "Heavens knows what kind of horror story they told him. He was probably beside himself the whole ride out."

"We really ought to get him inside," the Chancellor said. "We can't leave him sitting here in the cold. That wind is picking up every minute."

Tony pulled his coat closer around him. It was true. The Northern breeze had suddenly turned into a determined wind. He knew he couldn't just leave his son-in-law sitting in a heap on the flagstones. What would Virginia say? He stepped forward and touched Wolf lightly on the shoulder. "Wolf?" he said gently. "It's Tony. It's cold out here. Don't you think you'd better come inside?" He moved his hand from Wolf's shoulder to his arm and tried to draw him up from the ground.

Wolf pulled back with a growl, baring his teeth. "No!" he said.

"You can't stay here."

"Go away!" Wolf snarled.

Tony was wondering what to do next, what line of argument to use.

That's when the full-blooded wolf spoke. "You don't understand," he said, reaching his snout up into the air to get a better look at the taller beings around him, "this isn't unusual behavior for a wolf."

All human eyes turned to look at the furry member of their group. They'd almost forgotten he was there.

"When a wolf loses his mate," the large gray wolf said, "he often stays by her body for days, protecting and watching over her. He'll only leave if he feels a strong sense of danger. Even then he often stays. He'll go without food or water until he's finally ready to accept her death. Only then will he leave."

"But my daughter's body isn't here," Tony said.

"It's the last place she existed," the wolf replied. "It's the closest thing."

"Well, I'm sorry," Tony said. He wasn't really interested in wolf lore right then. "I can't just leave him here. Virginia would never forgive me. Wolf. Wolf, we are going to find her. I promise you."

Wolf looked up at Tony, his eyes narrowed. "Promise," he snapped. "You promised to take care of her!"

"I tried. I really tried. You know how willful Virginia is. I told her not to go walking in the woods by herself."

"This isn't the woods," Wolf pointed out.

"No," Tony admitted weakly. "But she was on her way there."

Wolf growled again and went back to pawing the ground.

All at once the wind broke over them like a giant wave, causing everyone standing to counter back under its force.

"It's a north wind!" Lord Rupert yelled. "Queen Matilde must be coming."

And so she was.

A large carriage, pulled by four white horses flew magically into the courtyard, scattering bits of sparkling white dust in its wake. It came to rest on the other side of the fountain.

"Is that the fairy queen you guys were talking about?" Tony shouted into the wind. "The one you think can help Virginia?"

"That's her," Rupert shouted back.

A footman jumped off the top of the carriage and opened the door. A woman dressed in white with white blond hair curled close to her face stepped out, followed by the young wolf that had been sent to bring her. She looked to be about middle-aged. In her hand she carried a cane of white wood that looked as if it had been cut from some kind of heavy petrified vine. It was all twisted around on itself, over and over again. She used it as a walking stick, though it was clear she didn't need it to get around.

She moved quickly to the group of males gathered around Wolf, her gown sparkling with every move she made. In a no-nonsense voice she said, "All right, who's in charge here?"

"I am, your Highness," the Chancellor said with a deep bow.

Lord Rupert, the guard, and the full-blooded wolf also bowed. So, Tony followed their lead. After all, he was a lord of the realm now and he had to get the royal pleasantries down right.

"You're King Wendell's Chancellor, I take it," the woman said, "And this young man grieving on the ground I take it is the young lady's husband." She pointed at Wolf with her cane. "Wolf, his name is. I've heard a lot about him." The woman's eyes took in the rest of the crew. The guard in uniform was obviously a guard. It was also pretty easy to guess who the full-blooded wolf was. He stood back as if he were an underling. So she figured he was either a soldier that had arrived with Wolf or a castle servant. Her eyes continued around the group. "Lord Rupert. I remember you."

"Indeed, your Highness?" Rupert said bowing again.

"Haven't seen you recently, but I remember you as a young man. You still have the same sloppy posture."

"Sorry, your Highness," Rupert said, trying to stand straighter.

"Haven't been to this castle since Wendell was a baby. There's been quite a lot of excitement here lately, I hear. I didn't come to the coronation because when you've reached the age of five hundred like I have, you've seen quite enough of them."

Tony's mouth dropped open. Five hundred? She didn't look any older than he was. First a two hundred-year-old Cinderella and now this. The Nine Kingdoms was certainly the right place to grow old.

"And you," the woman said, pointing at Tony with her cane. "You with the open mouth. Who are you?"

"This is Lord Lewis," the Chancellor answered. "He's the Inventor to the King and Miss Virginia's father."

"Oh, yes. The inventor. I've heard about you. You're the one who steals ideas from his own dimension and sells them here as his own."

Tony opened his mouth to defend himself.

"Now, now, don't get excited," the woman said. "Doesn't matter to me where your ideas come from, as long as they work here. And actually, I thought the cotton gin was a good thing to start with. In case no one has told you yet, I'm Queen Matilde. Queen of both the fairies and the frozen Eighth Kingdom in the north. I am also the acting president of the Council of the Nine Kingdoms. But don't let that impress you. I got the job mostly because of my age and the prestige of my late husband."

Matilde looked down at Wolf. He wasn't scratching at the ground anymore, but he was still crying softly. He hadn't been listening to any of the conversations going on around him because he was too lost in his own pain.

Matilde put her hand under his chin and gently raised his face so she could look into his reddened eyes. "Young man, did you hear me? My name is Matilde. I'm here to help you." She softly brushed back the hair from his face and smoothed it as if he were a child. "We're going inside now and see if we can't do something about finding your wife. All right?"

Wolf nodded.

"Good. You just put your hand on my cane. And we'll get up."

Matilde took one of Wolf's hands and put it on the head of her cane. Then, she drew him up from the ground. Slowly, they moved toward the castle.

"Did you save a bit of that fairy dust for me?" Matilde asked.

"Yes," the Chancellor said. "It's in a vial in the King's office.

"I'll get it," Lord Rupert said, getting ready to run.

"Don't bother," Matilde said. "The King's office sounds like a good place to speak in private."

"Of course, your Highness," the Chancellor said. He led the way with Matilde following close behind, still holding Wolf by the arm.

When they got to the office, Matilde sat Wolf down at the King's desk and left him there, still holding her cane. "He's in a great deal of pain," she said, "The shock was hard for him. But the touch of my cane will bring him back to himself shortly."

As the Chancellor closed the door, Lord Rupert presented Queen Matilde with the clear glass vial that held the fairy dust.

"Thank you," she said. She opened it and sniffed its contents. Then she dipped one of her fingers into it and tasted just the tiniest bit of the dust. "It's old. Very old. The troll who threw this probably inherited it or maybe stole it from someone who did. It's definitely traveling dust." She looked at Tony, knowing he'd be the one who'd need the most explanation. "We fairies use magic dust to travel from place to place, you see. Just like some people use mirrors. Did you see the dust that scattered from my carriage as it landed? That dust, combined with the magic from my cane, allowed me to travel here."

"So, where did my daughter travel to?" Tony asked. "Another dimension?"

"Not in this case. Besides using magic dust to go from place to place, fairies also use it to travel through time. But we don't do that much anymore. The problem with traveling into the past is you can't change anything. And if you travel into the future, it doesn't do much good either because the present and the past control the future. So, at some point during the last two hundred years, we fairies decided to stay mostly within our own time. This dust here, is about two hundred years old. And it has the distinct odor of violets. That means, it was designed for traveling to the past. Future dust tends to have more of a lemony scent."

"Then my daughter has gone back to the past?" This was pretty hard for Tony to accept, even in a place as crazy as the Nine Kingdoms.

"Our past?" Wolf asked. He had pulled out of his stupor and was now very aware of the conversation around him. "I mean, the past of the Nine Kingdoms? Or the past of some other dimension?"

"Good," Matilde said. "You're coming around."

"So which is it?" Tony asked.

"You mean what past is she in? I really have very little way of knowing. We use dust to travel, as I said. But we use a magic talisman like my cane to steer by. We need both. This troll threw traveling dust at your daughter that had the capability of taking her into the past. But unless she was carrying something that could steer her, she could really be anywhere. Still, she's probably somewhere in the Nine Kingdoms. It takes a lot of additional magic to travel to different times in other dimensions."

"So, how do we find her?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," Wolf said, getting to his feet.

"I'm afraid it might take awhile," Matilde said. "I've brought my crystal ball and that should help. But I'll have to comb each time individually. That could take weeks or months."

"That's not good enough," Tony said angrily. "You're supposed to be some all powerful Queen!"

"I'm a fairy, young man," Matilde answered back coldly. "I am NOT God."

Tony was turning red with anger, trying to think of a snappy comeback when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter," the Chancellor said, glad for the interruption.

It was one of the downstairs butlers, a very formal man with starched clothing and unbelievably shined shoes. "Excuse me. But the King of the Dwarves is here. He says it's very important. He saw Queen Matilde's carriage out front and he says you should all meet him in the special room where King Wendell keeps the Mirror of Truth. It's about Miss Virginia."


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

**The Mirror of Truth**

The King of the Dwarves didn't dress in a showy manner like most of the other royalty in the Nine Kingdoms. Dwarves as a rule didn't like to be flamboyant. It came from living underground so much. Also, since theirs was the last kingdom to be formed, they didn't feel it necessary to follow any old foolish royal traditions.

King Eranthis was well past middle age. His white hair and whiskers were full but well trimmed, showing off just the touch of pink in his cheeks. He was dressed in deep navy knee breeches with a matching jacket. Among his people, navy was considered to be a formal color. Most of time they wore shades of brown because that was the color that was sensible for their mining work. If nothing else, dwarves were a sensible people.

When the group from Wendell's office came in, King Eranthis regarded them through his wire spectacles with a certain amount of disdain. The only one he was acquainted with was the Queen of the Fairies.

"Matilde," he said, offering her just a slight nod of the head.

"Eranthis," she said. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"No. But I expected to see you."

Matilde raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Would you introduce me to these others?" Eranthis asked, gazing about at the motley crew behind her.

The Queen of the Fairies stood back and indicated each person in turn with her cane. "This is King Wendell's Chancellor," she said first.

The Chancellor offered Eranthis a deep bow.

"And this is Lord Rupert."

Rupert bowed even deeper than the Chancellor.

Eranthis regarded them both with disgust. "Please, no fawning," he cried in exasperation.

"This is Lord Lewis," Matilde continued, "Inventor to King Wendell."

"Ah," Eranthis said with loathing. "Anthony Lewis. The one who murdered half the mirrors in our library when he blundered into Dragon Mountain. I've heard about you. I can't believe I'm here to help you."

Matilde moved quickly to the final member of their group. "And last but not least," she said, "this is Wolf."

"Yes." The dwarf's face relaxed a bit. "The half man/half wolf. Queen Snow White is very fond of both you and your wife."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Wolf said respectfully. He couldn't believe all the people who were to help Virginia. With all this royalty, certainly something could be done.

"Then you've been speaking with Snow, I take it," Matilde said.

"Yes. She contacted me through one of our mirrors the day before yesterday and instructed me to come at once. She said you had been summoned as well, though not by her. She said we would need the Mirror of Truth to reveal some things from the past."

"Indeed." Matilde was intrigued. "And where is she now?"

"I assume she intends to appear in the mirror." King Eranthis indicated the Mirror of Truth with his fat little hand.

"Very well," Matilde said. She was never one to stand back and wait while there was work to be done. Without any formality, she stepped in front of the mirror while the others gathered about her. All she saw, however, were the normal expected reflections. "I'll try calling her," she said, leaning on her cane. "Lord Rupert, please stop swaying, you'll ruin my concentration."

"Sorry, your Highness," Rupert said, putting his hand to his mouth.

"Snow," Matilde said to the mirror. "We're all here now. What kind of plan do you have going?"

As soon as she spoke, the reflections in the mirror started to waiver. They got less and less distinct, till there were only swirls of gray in the glass.

"Snow? Are you going to appear to us? Darling, we don't have all day."

The voice of a woman came out of the mirror before a form developed. "Matilde, I see you're as irascible as ever."

"When you get to my age, Dear, I figure you can say pretty much whatever you like. Now what's this all about?"

The figure in the mirror got clearer. It was Snow White, appearing as the older woman that Virginia had met almost two months before in Dragon Mountain. "I know about Virginia's disappearance. In fact, I know where she is."

"Where?" Wolf asked desperately.

"She's all right. I'm in contact with her ring."

"Then it's you who made all those predictions?" Wolf asked. "Through the ring, I mean?"

"In a way. As you know, the ring possesses some abilities to tell the future. It also has certain properties as a magic talisman. It was a lucky piece of jewelry you bought for Virginia that day in Kissing town, Wolf."

"You used it to steer her by, didn't you?" Matilde said. "That's how you know where she is."

"Yes. I've been acting as Virginia's fairy godmother for some time now."

"Yeah?" Tony said angrily. "Then why did let that troll zap her?"

"Because she has a destiny to complete in the past, a truth to reveal. One that will affect a great many people. And it's important that you and Wolf go help her."

"No!" Wolf said, facing off with the mirror. "I'll go. But NOT with him." He pointed at Tony accusingly, like a child in the schoolyard ratting on a naughty playmate. "This whole thing wouldn't have happened if he'd taken care of Virginia like he promised."

"Yes, it would have," Snow White said. "The trolls were determined to have their revenge. If not in this way, then in some other. I've altered things so their actions will serve a good purpose instead of an evil one. You'll need Tony in the world I'm sending you to, as a go-between and as a cooler head."

"See," Tony said, crossing his arms in front of him. "She thinks I've got a cooler head."

Wolf growled.

"You will make two stops in time," Snow White said. "The ring will tell you when to leave the first and travel to the second. It will also know when it is time to return to the present. But in the midst of things, its words may be lost. Therefore, Tony, I will depend on you to be the cooler head and pull them out. Remember this rhyme.

"You will know its time to leave,

When a flame does touch your sleeve."

Another rhyme, Tony thought. "Yeah, sure," he said. It wouldn't be hard to remember. If he caught fire, it was time to go.

"How do you intend for them to travel?" Matilde asked.

"The same way as Virginia, fairy dust. I depend on you, Matilde, to supply them with the two kinds that will be necessary for the journey."

Matilde nodded her agreement. "And I assume you'll be steering them."

"Yes. By Virginia's ring and the talismans they'll be wearing around their necks." Snow White looked at Tony and Wolf. "Tony, you have seen the Mirror of Truth once before. And Wolf, you have probably heard of it. There hasn't been one like this for five hundred years, for the simple reason that most people don't like truth. I am sending you back into the past to uncover secrets that no living person knows. The Second Kingdom is where you'll be going. There have been a total of three crimes either enacted or attempted there. A fourth was planned, but it was averted when Wolf helped stop the Evil Queen. You don't realize it, Wolf, but you put an end to an old plan of revenge. Now it's time for the full truth to be known. There are very few heroes in this story, and far too many victims. Eranthis will cut three small pieces from the Mirror of Truth and fashion them into talismans that you will wear around your neck. You will give Virginia hers when you meet. Or rather Tony will."

"Where will I be?" Wolf asked with concern.

"You will be near. But the first time I am sending you to is a dangerous one for half-wolves. Tony will have more freedom to walk about and he will act as the go-between for you and Virginia for awhile. The second time you are journeying to will be a little easier and much more difficult all at the same time."

"Oh, great!" Tony said. He'd hoped he was all through with this questing stuff. He'd been looking forward to a nice quiet existence as the rich and important Inventor to the King.

"The truth of everything you see and hear will be taken in by the mirror and reflected back here," Snow White said, "In the second time you visit, you may have to leave Virginia's piece of the mirror behind. But as long as she wears the ring, I will be able to bring her back. Matilde, we'll need a quorum of witnesses from the ruling body of the Council of the Nine Kingdoms. They will have the authority to make a formal judgement."

"Well, you certainly have me and Eranthis. And when King Wendell returns, I'm sure he'd be willing. There's Cindy too, of course."

"Wendell will need to continue with his army," Snow White said. Cinderella's kingdom is also about to be thrust into war. However, since she began a parliamentary system before she started her days of seclusion, the First Kingdom should be able to handle the coming battles without her."

"Are you saying the war will continue?" the Chancellor asked.

"It will. And it will worsen. The Second Kingdom will permanently fall unless it re-embraces those it cast out. And if that should happen, the momentum could topple many other kingdoms as well. The truth of the past is the key. The Fifth Kingdom is safe at the moment. Ask Old King Cole to join your quorum. As the son of the Lady Rapunzel, I have no doubt he will come if you ask him. For the Fifth member, I would suggest Leaf Fall."

Matilde grimaced. "My step-daughter?"

"She's the Queen of the Elves and Queen of the Seventh Kingdom. She also has great pull with the council. If she agrees with your ruling, no one else will dare oppose it."

"All right," Matilde said with a sniff. "I'll ask her, but I don't intend to enjoy it."

"Fine. I know I'm asking a lot of you, considering the confusion in the time ahead. But you don't all need to be here at once. The mirror will answer any questions you put to it. But you should contact the others as soon as possible. Use my name to bring them here."

"I'll send my footman to bring the messages in my magic coach," Matilde said, "When they see that float in, they'll be more likely to pay attention. I'll even send a note to the Naked Emperor's great-grandson up in the Snoring Castle in the Sixth Kingdom. It's getting too cold for him to travel now, so I'll tell him to stay where he is for the moment. Not that I'd want him here anyway. To think, that vulgar and improper man is related to Sleeping Beauty. I just can't bear the thought." She stopped when she'd realized her pun. She hated puns. "I mean, well, you know what I mean."

"We'll have to fix up the guest rooms," Lord Rupert said.

"And We'll have to advise King Wendell," the Chancellor said.

"I'll let you send him word by regular messenger, since he's at the border," Matilde said. "The trolls might notice my coach landing."

"When do we leave?" Wolf asked eagerly.

"Tomorrow night," Snow White said. "Removing pieces of the mirror is a delicate task. And Matilde will need to explain how to use the magic fairy dust. There's but one thing more. You are journeying to the past to reveal the truth only. You must realize that you cannot change anything. What has been done, cannot be undone. But if you are not careful, you can be caught up in the dangers of the past and lost there forever. So, tell no one who you are and realize that they won't be able to recognize you."

Wolf and Tony exchanged looks. Just who would they be meeting that they would know?


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

**Topaz**

Virginia had been staying with Emerald for about three days and things were beginning to move into a routine. She helped her hostess by milking the goats and turning them out into the fields around the house to graze in the morning. She was also learning to cook in the open fireplace. One-pot meals were the main bill of fare. Hearty soups and stews that could be set to cooking slowly through the day and spooned up when they were needed.

This gave Emerald more time to work on the manufacture of her cheese and the endless task of spinning wool and sewing. She'd already canned and put away what vegetables in the root cellar under the large barn at the back of the house. For meat, she occasionally slaughtered a goat, being careful to use as much of the animal as she could. And Emerald's son-in-law had done his share of hunting that fall and she was hoping to get a supply of venison from him. In exchange, she'd been planning on sewing some winter clothing for her little granddaughter. It was hard for her daughter Opal to keep up with the sewing for both her rapidly growing child and her hardworking farmer husband.

It was the beginning of December in this time period in the past. Emerald told Virginia there had been some snow already, but nothing that had stuck. The trick was to get everything ready before any real storms hit.

As for Virginia's cover story about searching for her father, Emerald had said there was going to be a meeting of some sort later in the week at her house. "We can make a major announcement to everyone then," she said.

On the morning of the third day, Virginia had just finished the milking when Emerald came and told her that she was going into town. "I need to pick up a few things and trade these in," she said, holding up a large cloth bundle filled with her homemade cheese. "Do you need anything?"

"Oh, how nice of you to ask," Virginia said. "But I don't think so."

"Fine. I'll probably be gone most of the day. You stay near the house where it's safe and keep a look out on the stew. Later in the week I'll teach you how to do some spinning and candle making." Emerald started waving her index finger at Virginia as she delivered the next speech, in the style of a mildly scolding parent. "I know you've been disadvantaged because your mother died when you were young. But that's no excuse. You won't be able to hold onto your man if you don't become more practiced in the home arts. Soldiers like your husband lose interest fast if you're not careful. The wanderlust takes hold, you know. So, you've got to keep your home just so. After you find your father, I'll help you find a house. Lots of people in the village owe me favors, so we ought to be able to get you something, however humble. Then you'll have a proper place for your husband to return to. It'll also give your father a home base to center himself around. Maybe then he won't roam so much either. At the general store, I'll mention your father to the storekeep, in case anyone has seen him there. What was his name again?"

"Tony, Tony Lewis. He's got brown hair and he's very tall."

"Tony." Emerald tasted the name. "If you don't mind my saying so, it doesn't sound quite proper. Too relaxed. It's a shiftless kind of name. He should change it."

"It's short for Anthony."

"Oh." Emerald thrust out her lower lip and the wrinkles on her face smoothed out a bit. "Now that's better. The name Anthony has majesty. Why doesn't he use that?"

"He does. But where we come from people who are close never use the long version of their names. So, I didn't think of it at first."

"I'll tell the storekeep you're looking for Anthony Lewis. Since your father doesn't know anyone in town, he wouldn't be giving his shorter name, now would he?"

"Right," Virginia said. It was always easiest to agree with Emerald.

After growing up in a household where she'd often felt responsible for her father, it was a new experience for Virginia to be around someone who took control so utterly. She was very much aware that Emerald was well into planning not only the rest of her life, but that of her father, husband, and child as well. Emerald had already decided to instruct Virginia's soldier husband on his return to quit fighting trolls and instead put together a militia for the new kingdom she was hoping they would form someday. When she learned that Virginia could read and write, she decided that Virginia could teach school as a way to build income and improve the neighborhood. And of course, the child she was carrying, boy or girl, would inherit the profession and build a big school in the center of the community one day. Emerald had just the spot for it in mind. As for Virginia's father, Emerald was sure she could get him a job as a farm hand in the vicinity.

No doubt about it, Emerald thought of and planned for everything.

In her absence, Virginia kept busy by watching the antics of the goats. They were interesting creatures with personalities that were more independent than that of the sheep she'd met briefly in Little Lamb Village. The Billy goat was especially fun because he seemed to feel that everything the other goats did needed his direct approval. She sat on a stool in a patch of sunshine, wrapped in her woolen cloak, and listened to the humming of her engagement ring. It had stopped making nasty predictions. Now it only hummed or sang soothing lullabies about fairy queens watching over her.

Virginia was just starting to feel the need for a nap, when she thought she saw a figure moving at the edge of the wood. She rubbed her eyes and looked again just as the figure of a woman pulled apart from the trees. The woman was dressed in an outfit of rust colored wool that picked up the magnificent color of her long red hair.

Virginia waved and smiled as she got up off her stool. She wondered if this woman was a neighbor or a relative of her benefactress. Or maybe she was even a traveler like herself.

The woman waved back and started through the flock of grazing goats. They seemed unbothered by her presence. The Billy goat even stopped to greet her and she gave him a familiar scratch on the head.

"Hi," Virginia said. "Emerald's not home. She went into town. My name's Virginia. I'm staying with her for awhile."

"Hi," the woman answered. She was younger than Virginia was, with brilliant green eyes. Her smile was soft and had a tinge of sadness to it. She reminded Virginia of Rose a bit, but this woman was slighter and more delicate. Rose wasn't tall, but she had a definite strength to her.

"Do you want me to leave a message for Emerald?" Virginia asked.

"No," the delicate young woman said. "I'm afraid it'd only upset her. I had time today, so I thought I'd drop by and surprise her. If I gave her any warning that I was coming, I know she wouldn't be here when I showed up. Perhaps she's mentioned me. My name is Topaz."

"Topaz?" Virginia remembered the name. Emerald had mentioned it on the night she arrived and not since. She'd said Topaz was her elder daughter who'd died. "But that can't be."

The sad smile returned to the young woman's lips. "Has she told you I'm dead? Or did she tell you I was an ungrateful child who'd run off? That's what she told most of the local farmers."

"She told me you were dead." Virginia looked at her visitor very closely. She was still in the Nine Kingdoms, after all, and it wasn't impossible for this young woman to be a ghost. It was broad daylight, though. And this woman's freckled complexion didn't seem even vaguely ghostlike.

"When I left home, my mother told me I was dead to her. That I wasn't her daughter anymore. Then she told all the locals I'd run away and she'd disowned me. Of course, everyone took her word as law. Even if they see me now, they pretend I'm not there. My mother has a lot of power in this area, you know. She inherited my grandfather's importance, as well as his fiery temper and stubbornness. He was the self-appointed mayor around here till his death a few years back. Now my Mom rules. After all, she's the only child of old Flint Thompson." The Billy goat came over at that point and started to nibble at the hem of Topaz's dress. She leaned down and patted him away. "Sasha! Don't you go nibbling on that. It's my best one."

"So, if you're still living in the area," Virginia said, "you didn't run off very far.

"No. I just married against her wishes."

"Oh." Virginia knew something about that. Wolf wasn't exactly the husband her father would have picked out for her, after all. In the back of her mind she remembered Snow White's prediction that she would someday be an advisor of lost girls. She wondered if this was where she was supposed to start. "Your mom will come around. You'll see. Just give her time."

"I'm trying." Topaz tightened her cloak around her. The sunny day had suddenly become cloudy and it was getting increasingly colder. "It's been about eight months now."

"Well, you'll see. My father wasn't thrilled at first about my husband either. But he got used to the idea. You just have to do what you know is right sometimes. Even if your parents don't agree. Maybe it'll take years, but your mother'll come around. She'll see how much you and your husband love each other. And you'll give her grandchildren. From what I can tell she's really fond of your sister's daughter. She'll probably be thrilled when you start giving her grandchildren."

Topaz's eyes fell to the ground. "Actually, that's the news I have to tell her. I just found out I'm expecting."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Virginia couldn't help but grab the other woman's hands. "I'm expecting too. Why don't you stay around and wait for your mom. I'm sure she'll be thrilled when she hears the news."

Topaz returned the squeeze of Virginia's hands, but kept her eyes to the ground. "I can't stay now," she said, "Winter's coming and I need to collect more firewood. I'll come back later in the week."

"I can tell your mother you were here. I can even give her the good news if you like."

"Oh, please don't." Topaz's green eyes widened. "I want to be the one to tell her."

"Of course. I won't say a word," Virginia pledged.

"And please don't tell her I was here."

"If Sasha doesn't say anything, I won't."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. And congratulations."

The uncertain smile returned to Topaz's lips. "Thank you. And the same to you."

With that, the wraith-like red head, squeezed Virginia's hands once more and disappeared back into the woods.


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

**Preparations**

By night fall at King Wendell's castle, the preparations for Tony and Wolf's trip to the past were almost complete.

Eranthis had presented them with the tiny pieces of the mirror, which they would wear around their necks. They had been decked out in peasant clothes that were more homespun and proper for the time they were going to. And Matilde had told them as much as she could recall about the customs of the time, including the fact that they didn't have any coin or paper money in that area because they didn't have a real kingdom yet.

"It's usually the monarchy that coins money," she said. "At that time the Second Kingdom had a barter system. So we're sending you with several beaver skins because furs and farm produce were the major mode of exchange in those days and produce is so perishable. You can tell people you're trappers or hunters." She then presented Tony with two small leather satchels. "The blue one contains the fairy dust that will take you to your second stop in the past. The red one contains the dust that will carry you back here. Be careful not to lose them. I don't want to have to go into the past looking for you."

"Do you think I'm stupid or something?" Tony asked angrily. He was getting tired of Matilde talking to him as if he were a child. He didn't care if she was five hundred years old.

"No. I don't think you're stupid," Matilde said. "But I do think you can be a bit foolish at times. You could wear the satchels attached to your belt. But I think they'd be safer on a leather string around your neck."

"Great. I haven't got enough around my neck already?" Tony held up the mirror talisman as exhibit A. The circular piece of mirror was a sensible size. But the chain it was attached to was heavy and ugly. "Couldn't King what's-his-name have gotten us a nicer chain?" he asked rattling it.

"King ERANTHIS got you the proper size chain for that time. Anything finer and you'd be pegged as something more than a peasant."

"Maybe I should wear it then," Wolf said, growling impatiently. With each passing hour he was becoming more and more anxious. He had been pacing up and down and back and forth during this whole interplay between Tony and Matilde. And before that, while King Eranthis had been removing the pieces of the Mirror of Truth, he had been hanging over his shoulder till the Dwarf King had finally ordered the Chancellor to have him taken away.

"No," Matilde said. As ill tempered as Tony was being at the moment, he was still more cool headed than Wolf. The wisdom of Snow's sending them both was already quite obvious. "Wolf, it's almost time for you to leave. Why don't you go tell the Chancellor?"

"Right," Wolf said, springing off.

"I don't envy your having to keep him under control," Matilde said to Tony after Wolf had gone.

"He's just worried about Virginia."

"Yes, well. I hope he calms down. From what I remember of that time and place, things were very unpleasant between the farmers and the wolf population. Young Wolf is going to have to be very careful not to get himself into trouble."

"I'll watch out for him. He'll probably be a lot better once we've found my daughter."

At that point one of the butlers walked in. He was the same highly polished man who'd notified them of the Dwarf King's arrival. He seemed to be on duty at all hours. "Your Highness," he said with a proper bow.

"Yes."

"I just wanted to let you know that Queen Leaf Fall has arrived. The Chancellor is speaking with her now." The butler clicked his heels and backed smoothly out of the room without so much as a glance behind.

"That man should have been a dancer," Matilde observed.

"Queen Leaf Fall is the Queen of the elves, right?" Tony asked. He remembered seeing her at Wendell's coronation in a green leaf colored gown with a much older Elf on her arm.

"Yes. She's also the Queen of the Seventh Kingdom and my stepdaughter. She must have come straight here. I was hoping you'd be gone before she arrived. She's always such a bother."

"I take it you aren't close."

"Not even vaguely. She was an adult, of course, when I married her father. He was the King of the Elves, a fine man and a brave one. But he spoiled her terribly. I'm sure she thinks of me as the wicked stepmother. But honestly, not all of us stepmothers are wicked. We don't all try to do our stepchildren in with poisoned apples or turn them into ragamuffin servants like with Cinderella. Though sometimes we do have our fantasies. Or at least we do when we have stepchildren like Leaf Fall. That young woman has almost as much pride as Queen Red Riding Hood the Third. And believe me, that's saying something. No wonder the two are such good friends. They both think they're superior to the rest of us." A broad smile came to Matilde's lips and she leaned into Tony in a conspiratorial fashion. "I must say," she whispered, "I enjoyed hearing how embarrassed she was when she found out she'd tested a dog version of Wendell at his coronation AND passed him."

Tony started laughing, when the lady who was the butt of the joke entered. She was dressed all in green again and her demeanor hadn't improved any. She was like a bee, complete with buzzing wings at her back.

"So," Leaf Fall said, her upper lip tightening across her mouth. "I hear Snow White has called a quest."

"Yes, Dear," Matilde said, offhandedly. She always dealt with her stepdaughter offhandedly. "I was just about to send our questers off. Leaf, this is Lord Lewis. I believe you've met."

Leaf Fall barely glanced at Tony. After all, he'd been present at Wendell's coronation and she wanted to forget that had ever happened. "We've met," she said.

"A pleasure to see you again," Tony said. "I'll go get Wolf and tell him it's time to go. I also need a leather string for these." He held up the two leather satchels that Matilde had given him. "If you'll excuse me ladies."

"You should have sent word to me first," Leaf Fall said, indignantly.

"I sent my coach in a full circle to make things more efficient," Matilde explained.

"And you had him stop at my palace last."

"No, Dear," Matilde said in her sweetest voice. "You were next to last. I sent him first to Cinderella and Red because they were the ones whose kingdoms were in danger."

"You could have sent him to me after that."

"Then he would have had to zigzag all over the place and there would have been such a terrible waste of fairy dust."

"You delight in tormenting me, don't you?"

"Believe it or not, Dear, I don't. I just acted in what I thought was the most expedient manner. But you take everything so personally." Matilde's manner became more serious now. "I'm glad you came quickly, though. Having you as a witness from the beginning will mean quite a lot to the Council. Snow asked for you specifically, you know."

This stroke to Leaf Fall's ego eased the buzzing of her wings just a touch. "Of course. When Queen Snow White speaks, we must all listen."

"Yes. And watch."

Tony returned with Wolf, the Chancellor, and Lord Rupert in tow. Wolf was panting hard with anxiety, barely keeping his desire to whine in check.

"Are you ready?" Queen Matilde asked.

"Oh, yes!" Wolf said.

"Fine, then come and stand here in front of me. I will throw dust over you and it will transport you backward in time. Since you're both mortals, you may have trouble landing. If you fall on the ground or pass out for a bit, don't worry about it. Just get up. Snow White will steer you to the same time where she's sent Virginia. She'll probably even bring you close to the area where she is now. But if not, Wolf, you will find her I'm sure."

"Oh, yes," Wolf said.

"Be very careful, both of you. And try to remember everything Queen Snow White told you." With that, Matilde pulled out another small blue leather satchel and threw some of its contents over them. "Good luck!" she called.

The magic dust floated and sparkled around Tony and Wolf. Since it was fresher than the stuff that had made Virginia disappear, the scent of violets was very strong. It held in the air momentarily. Then, as it started to fall, Tony and Wolf disappeared.


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

**Aesophocles**

Tony and Wolf's arrival in the past was just abrupt as Virginia's had been. One minute they were standing in Wendell's palace. The next they were lying face down on some path deep in the woods, trying to remember what had happened. Fortunately for them, they were more prepared.

Tony wiped off his pants and got to his feet. The landing had been easier for him because he was carrying the beaver pelts and their few provisions. Wolf hit the ground hard, but he barely noticed. As soon as he came to himself, he started sniffing around, first at the ground and then at the air. He raced from one side of the path to the other, trying to catch the slightest whiff of Virginia.

"Smell anything?" Tony asked. The woods were very dark and cold. The clouds were covering the moon that night. He could barely make out Wolf's tall figure.

"Mostly I smell goats. Not a big herd, a small one. But they have such a strong scent. Wait a minute." He sniffed harder. "I think I've found just the trace of her, in there with the goats."

"She's living with goats?"

Wolf growled impatiently. "I don't know if she's living WITH them. But she's certainly living around them. Come on. Follow me. It's this way."

Wolf proceeded down the path with Tony following close behind. Tony still found it hard to see Wolf, but at least he was easy to hear. He kept making snuffling noises and he rushed forward quickly, making no effort to quiet his footsteps.

They went on for a long way with Wolf saying things like, "This is it. She's this way. Her scent is stronger now."

Finally they came to the great clearing in the woods where Emerald's house was. The sky was still cloudy. But the openness of the space, made the house clearly visible.

Wolf took one look at the house and gripped Tony's arm hard. "Oh, no!" he whimpered.

"What's the matter?" Tony whispered.

"Virginia's in that house."

"So?"

"That's Red Riding Hood's grandmother's house!"

"What? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," Wolf growled. "The place is a national shrine in the Second Kingdom. There aren't as many woods here in the future and there aren't any snack or souvenir stands yet. But that's IT! We've gotta get Virginia out of there right now!"

Wolf started to charge forward but Tony pulled him back into the bushes and clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shush!" Tony said, "Everything's dark. They're probably asleep. We can't just go running in there. Remember what Snow White said, we have to be careful or we could get caught up in the danger here. Now, how many people are in that cottage? Can you smell that?"

Wolf shook Tony's hand away from his mouth and said, "I smell goats, lots of goats. And Virginia."

"Fine. Besides them."

Wolf sniffed again. "I think there's only one other person there. Oh! It's probably Red Riding Hood's grandmother." Wolf started whimpering again.

"Fine. O.K. Listen. We know it's before the Second Kingdom got started. So that whole bit with Red Riding Hood and the wolf probably hasn't happened yet. There's no reason why Virginia should be in any danger."

"Oh, yes there is!" Wolf insisted. "She's the wife a wolf and she's carrying a wolf cub. That puts her in a whole lot of danger."

"But nobody can tell that by looking at her. I'm sure if we were warned not to say anything about who we really are, that Virginia was too. And if she doesn't tell anybody that her husband's a wolf, how are they gonna know? Hmm?"

Wolf growled. Tony was probably right. But he didn't like it.

"We'll camp in the woods tonight. And in the morning, I'll come back and introduce myself as Virginia's father. I'll use the cover story Matilde gave us about being a trapper and I'll give Virginia her mirror necklace."

"No! We can't just leave her there."

"If Snow White put her there, it's for a reason. Virginia is probably supposed to point up some deep truth or something."

"Maybe we could just stay here on the edge of the clearing. Then we'd be close if she needed us."

"No," Tony said. "We might get discovered. And I don't fancy having to worry about anyone noticing that tail of yours."

"Oh," Wolf whimpered.

"Now come on. We'll go back down the path where we landed and make camp somewhere behind the bushes."

Wolf had a hard time tearing himself away from the clearing. He didn't want to leave the scent of Virginia. And he certainly didn't like leaving her in such a dangerous place. In the future, that house would become the ultimate anti-wolf shrine.

Slowly, they wound their way back to where they'd come from and found a cluster of bushes to sleep in just off the path. Tony laid down and went right to sleep, while Wolf kept watch beside him. He couldn't sleep anyway. And if he kept his held tilted just so, he could catch a whiff of Virginia's scent. It was much fainter than that of the goats, but it was there all the same. He was concentrating on it so hard, that he didn't pick up the other approaching scents until it was much too late.

Immediately, Wolf started shaking Tony.

"What?" Tony said, trying to pull away.

"Tony, wake up. We're not alone."

"Hmm?"

"There's a whole pack of wolves headed this way."

"What?" Tony was awake now. "Where?"

"Unfortunately, I think they've been down wind from us. So they probably know we're here."

"Indeed we do," a voice in the darkness said.

Wolf and Tony watched in horror as a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared and came toward them out of the shadows. It was an enormous gray wolf. And he was in the company of at least four others.

"We smelled the scent of another wolf in our forest. And we want to know who you are and why you travel with a human."

"He's one of your people," Tony said, pushing Wolf to his feet. "You talk to them."

Wolf stood up to his full height and the other wolves gasped.

"You're not a full-blooded wolf," the leader said.

"I'm, uh, half-wolf," Wolf said.

"I didn't know there were any."

"Not many. But a few."

"What are you doing here?"

Wolf considered how much of the truth to tell them. It would be hard to hide their interest in Virginia from the wolves. And if the wolves met her, it wouldn't be hard for them to tell she was pregnant with a wolf cub and that she was Tony's daughter. Best to be as honest with them as possible. They would find out a lot of the truth anyway. "I've been away fighting the trolls," Wolf began. "My wife had to leave our village suddenly and we're trying to find her. This man is my father-in-law. My wife is expecting a child and we're worried about her. We followed her scent to a house in a big clearing. But all the lights were out and we weren't sure how to proceed. So, we decided to camp here till morning. Then, Tony, my father-in-law, was going to go and introduce himself while I waited here. We didn't know how the people in that house would react if they figured out I was half-wolf."

A laugh escaped from the lead wolf. "You wouldn't have been welcomed. I can assure you of that."

"So," Wolf said breathing hard, "I'm glad we didn't try knocking at this late hour."

The yellow eyes of the lead wolf engulfed Wolf and considered him long and hard, as if trying to see into his soul. "You are a wolf," he said at last. "So, you are family." He spoke as if he were stating a new law. "And this human is your father-in-law, so he is family also. We will know your wife when we sense the child within her."

"It's a son," Wolf said, trying to sound friendly. "I think it's a boy-cub."

"As long as it's healthy," the head wolf said. "Come. You will stay in my shelter. If any of the local humans find you, you will not be so warmly welcomed."

Tony couldn't imagine being less warmly welcomed but he didn't say that of course. He was finally learning to hold his tongue.

"Thank you," Wolf said. "That's very nice of you."

The four wolves that had been following the leader, turned back into the forest. The lead wolf stood and waited for Tony and Wolf to follow him.

"What are your names?" the lead wolf asked.

"I'm called Wolf," Wolf said. "You can probably tell why."

"Yes. And your father-in-law?"

"I'm Anthony Lewis. But my friends call me Tony."

"And I am called Aesophocles," the lead wolf said.

Wolf gasped. He didn't mean to, but it came out before he could stop it.

The lead wolf stopped. "You've heard of me?"

"Well, yes," Wolf said, trying desperately not to ramble. "My parents heard of you. They spoke very highly of you." His foster parents anyway.

"That's very flattering," Aesophocles said. "I've tried to do right by our people here. Though my son Scythian is just at that age. An adolescent. He wishes I was more of a firebreathing dragon."

Wolf was awfully glad that Aesophocles wasn't looking at him. He hated to think what his expression looked like. This was like a nightmare. Scythian was Wolf's vengeance obsessed grandfather, who had died when Wolf was barely more than a cub. He hoped Snow White had been right about them not being recognizable in this time.

Aesophocles suddenly came to a stop. "I'll go on ahead," he said. "I think I should warn my mate that we're having guests."

"Of course," Wolf said.

"My mate is human like yours. She'll be glad to have you as guests."

"What?" Wolf said. He thought he'd heard wrong.

"She's human like your mate," Aesophocles repeated. "I'll run ahead and tell her you're coming. Follow my scent." He then leapt over a bush and disappeared.

"Did he say his mate was human?" Tony whispered.

"Yes," Wolf answered.

"And you said you'd heard of him. Who is he?"

Wolf shook his head. He'd almost forgotten. Tony had been dallying with a lady on the afternoon he and Rose had told Virginia about his family tree. "He's the wolf that tried to kill Red Riding Hood," Wolf explained.

"What? You're kidding. And he has a human mate?"

"Not according to the history books. He's supposed to have had one pure-blooded wolf mate named Siba who was killed by a trapper when their cub Scythian was still pretty young."

"So you think maybe the history books are wrong?"

"I guess. But I can't believe they were this wrong."

"Maybe this is one of the truths we're supposed to uncover," Tony said.

Wolf followed the scent trail of Aesophocles with Tony following, till they reached a tiny trapper's hut. It was rustic, but well maintained.

Wolf knocked tentatively on the door.

"Come in," Aesophocles's strong voice said.

Tony let Wolf lead the way. Their host was standing next to a delicate woman with flaming red hair and green eyes.

"This is my mate, Topaz," Aesophocles said.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

**Forgotten Wife**

Topaz stepped forward and clasped Wolf by the hand. "I think I met your wife today," she said. "She's staying at my mother's house."

"Virginia?" Wolf's face clearly showed how much he'd been worrying about her. "Is she all right? I mean, I smelled her."

"She seemed quite well," Topaz assured him. "And I hear you're to be congratulated. She told me you were expecting a child."

"Thank you." Wolf's expression changed from one of fear to one of foolish happiness.

Aesophocles watched with interest. If he'd had any doubt about Wolf's story before, it evaporated now. The love and concern Wolf had for his wife gushed forth innocently from him. It was no less than Aesophocles felt for his dainty little Topaz.

Wolf grew silent for a moment, still with Topaz's hand in his. He cocked his head to one side and said, "It seems you're also to be congratulated."

"Yes," Topaz said blushing. "I can't get used to wolves being able to tell that." She took her hand from Wolf's and turned toward Tony. "It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Lewis."

"Well, I've got to return to the forest," Aesophocles said. "I was out hunting when we met. Please make yourselves comfortable. You're welcome to stay as long as you like. Topaz will be glad for the human company."

Topaz stroked her husband's head by way of farewell. And he was off.

"Please," she said, pointing to a little table at the center of the room. "Sit down. I'm afraid I don't have much on hand. A little rabbit stew maybe. Wolves don't go in for canning and food preservation. They like everything fresh. But I've got a few things put by. Aesophocles is even starting to get used to the idea of bread."

"Thank you," Tony said. "We didn't eat that long ago."

"I could eat," Wolf said.

Tony sighed. What else was new? "O.K.," he said. "But why don't you eat some of the provisions we brought and share them with Topaz."

"Oh, sure," Wolf said, taking the leather bag that Tony was handing him. "Where are my manners? Please, you should share our things." Wolf pulled out the sandwiches they'd been given for the trip and placed them haphazardly on the table.

Topaz looked at the little bundles oddly and then reached for one. "What's this?" she asked, folding back the paper that surrounded the sandwich.

Wolf and Tony exchanged glances.

"That's paper," Tony said. "Haven't you seen paper before?"

"No. But I've heard of it. Very wealthy educated people, great kings and that sort, write on it don't they? Like books and such."

"Sometimes," Tony said. "They also do other things with it too."

"You must come from a very wealthy kingdom."

"Not really. We just have different uses for things, that's all."

"I guess. No one around here can read, so I guess none of us ever thought of making paper for anything else."

"Why don't you try the sandwich," Tony said, trying to change the subject. "It's chicken."

"Really? We don't have many of those here. They keep them mostly in the south where it isn't so cold."

"Then you should definitely try it. Your appetite is probably like Virginia's right now."

"Yes," Wolf chimed in, "please eat."

"After I've brewed us some tea," Topaz said. She got up and put a kettle in the little fireplace. Then she put a motley group of cups and saucers out across the little table. "This used to be trapper's hut," she explained as she worked. "When I came to live with Aesophocles he fixed it up for me. He said he understood that I wasn't used to living outside the way the pureblooded wolves were."

"How did you two get together?" Wolf asked.

"We had the same vision for the area. My mother and her friends see the wolves as competitors here. And a lot of the wolves see the humans in the same way. Aesophocles and I have hopes of finding some kind of compromise so both groups can exist peacefully. Unfortunately, it's been a very hard road. The wolves have been pushed deeper and deeper into the forest as the farmers take down more of the trees. You see, the soil isn't very fertile here. The ground grows these tall pines readily. But it doesn't grow much else. And the growing season is so short. A lot of the farmers have to turn to hunting to feed their families and that brings them into direct confrontation with the wolves, who are trying to feed their families as well. Some of the farmers keep sheep and goats. But then they claim there's a lot of poaching from the wolves. And the wolves in turn complain about the lack of large game in the forest. It's an endless circle of blame."

Topaz had finished her preparations and was now sitting down to eat. Wolf and Tony politely waited for her to begin before they started.

"What would you and Aesophocles like to see happen?" Wolf asked.

"We would like the farmers to stay out of the forest all together and leave it to the wolves. The wolves in turn would stay away from the farmers and their livestock. But at the moment, that doesn't seem likely. And to confuse things further, there are also the trappers, like the man who built this hut. The wolves don't care if there are a few of them. But when they come in great numbers, it lessens the game still further. It's upsetting to the wolves especially, when the local hunters take the large animals like the elk and moose. Those are the animals the wolves prefer. But of course, you know that."

Wolf nodded and smiled uncertainly. The truth was, he'd been brought up to think of small game mostly. Probably because there weren't that many of the big herbivores left in the woods of his time.

"Aesophocles mentioned he has an adolescent son," Tony said.

"Oh, yes," Topaz said, "Scythian. You weren't introduced, but he was with Aesophocles when you met him in the forest. He was born to Aesophocles's first mate, Siba. From what I've heard she was a shy little thing, killed by a trapper when Scythian was still very young. Her death has preyed heavily on the boy's mind. He hates humans. It took him awhile to warm up to me. But I think I've worn down his resistance somewhat. He now seems to accept his father and I being together. I'm glad you'll be staying with us. It will give Scythian a chance to see that other humans besides me can be trusted."


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

**Partial Reunion**

Wolf and Tony spent the night by the fireplace in the main room of Aesophocles's one bedroom cottage. In the morning, Topaz fed them breakfast while her mate slept in after his night of hunting.

"After breakfast," Tony said, "I'll go see Virginia."

"I'm coming too," Wolf announced.

Tony smiled a great big smile and forced himself to act pleasant. He didn't want to argue in front of their hostess. "Now, Wolf, we've talked about this. We know Topaz's mother doesn't take kindly to wolves. It's better if you stay away from there."

"I don't care. I'm coming."

"Remember what our friend Snow said before we left?"

"I don't care," Wolf repeated. "I'm coming."

Tony kicked Wolf under the table and Wolf growled back. Then they both glanced over to see if Topaz had noticed. But she seemed to be more interested in stirring a pot on the fire.

"You can walk me most of the way," Tony said. "I don't think I could find my way back without your help. But I really think you should stay away from that house. Just in case."

"He's probably right," Topaz said standing. "You look human. But my mother has such a hatred of wolves. And my being involved with Aesophocles hasn't improved things. I've been putting off telling her we're having a child because I know how much it'll upset her."

"You see," Tony said. "It'll help Topaz if you stay away. We don't want her mother getting any more upset about wolves than she is already, do we?"

Wolf growled. He wasn't happy about this. Not at all.

On the way to Emerald's cottage, Wolf said nary a word. Finding the way back was easy. In fact, Wolf wondered that Tony couldn't have done it by himself because the goats gave off such a sharp tangy aroma. The only good thing was the tantalizing scent of Virginia around the edges. She was obviously outside this morning.

They were still a good distance off when Tony stopped and said, "All right. I think you should wait here."

Wolf whimpered but Tony tried not to hear. Instead, he turned and continued on down the path by himself, looking back only once to see if Wolf was still there. He was, watching after Tony with the brokenhearted expression of an abandoned puppy. How am I supposed to keep them apart, Tony wondered.

When he walked into the clearing at Emerald's cottage, Tony immediately saw Virginia. She had just finished the milking and was urging the goats out into the field. She didn't see Tony at first, but when she did, she came tearing across the yard and threw her arms around him.

"I was afraid I'd never see you again," she cried.

"It's all right." Tony said, hugging her.

Emerald was just inside the barn collecting pails of milk, so she saw Tony arrive. She came at once to inspect their visitor, throwing the end of her cloak resolutely across her shoulder.

"Whatever you do, don't mention Wolf's name," Tony whispered into Virginia's ear when he saw Emerald marching toward them. "Let me do the talking." With a pat, he pulled away from his daughter and put on his best friendly face. Hi!" he said. "I'm Virginia's father."

"Anthony Lewis," Emerald said, making the name sound like a title.

"That's right."

"Dad," Virginia said. "This is Emerald."

"How do you do?" Tony said bowing politely. "I've been trapping in the area and I heard my daughter was staying here."

"You're a trapper?" Emerald said questioning. "Virginia said you were an inventor."

"I am," Tony said, fumbling just a touch. "But that doesn't pay much, so I hire myself out as a trapper too to help make ends meet. I'm working with another man in the forest. We've been hunting beaver. We've done pretty well too. See?"

Tony handed a beaver pelt to Emerald, who turned it over and over in her hands.

"Good fur," Emerald said. "Good quality. But it looks well seasoned. Not fresh."

"Well," Tony said, fumbling again. "I didn't want to bring you a fresh one. They're so messy. This is a gift for taking care of my daughter."

A smile broke out over Emerald's face as she stroked the fur. It would make a perfect little jacket for her year-old granddaughter. "I accept your gift Mr. Lewis," she said. "Why don't you go inside and Virginia will give you something hot to drink. I'm just in the midst of separating my curds from my whey. I make my own cheese you know. You'll excuse me for awhile, won't you?"

"Of course," Tony said, smiling his biggest smile again. Let Mrs. Muffet get back to her tuffet. He needed to talk to his daughter alone.

As Emerald returned to her work in the barn, Virginia escorted Tony to the cottage as calmly as she could. But as soon as the door was closed she yelled out, "Where's Wolf?"

"He's all right. He's waiting in the woods. You have no idea how worried we've been. Do you know whose house this is?"

"Sure, Emerald's. And it's sometime before Little Red Riding Hood."

"Maybe. But do you know who Emerald probably is?"

"Yes," Virginia said with a touch of impatience. "She's a nice lady who's taken me in and given me shelter."

"She's also Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother."

"What?"

"And guess who WE stayed with last night? The wolf who's going to try and kill Little Red Riding Hood."

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was. This place is so crazy. You start making tea or whatever it is she expects you to do before she gets back. I have a lot to tell you."

Tony hastily told Virginia the story of Snow White and their quest for truth while keeping a look-out for Emerald. "Here," he said. "This is the piece of the Mirror of Truth they made up for you. Wear it. I think you're meant to stay here with Emerald for awhile longer. I'll tell her I've got to continue hunting and it would be safer if you stayed with her."

"O.K." Virginia said. "And you can tell Topaz that I'm staying here because I'm hoping to soften her mother up towards her."

"She'll probably believe that. She said you were very encouraging about her mother coming around and accepting her husband. Course that was before you knew who all these people were."

"Maybe I can change history."

"Virginia! Remember what Snow White said. What's been done, can't be undone."

"But I have to try."

"No!" Tony could already see how hard this whole thing was going to be. Wolf wanted to rush in where smart wolves feared to tread. And Virginia wanted to try and undo all the wrongs of history. "You're here to watch. That's all!"

Virginia made a face as she put the piece of mirror around her neck. "It seems pointless, just watching."

"Look. I figure it's the price of getting you back."

"How is Wolf taking all this?"

"Not well. He'll probably have dissolved into a puddle of tears by the time I get back. Or maybe he'll just haul off and bite me. I'd actually prefer that."

"It's not going to be easy for us to stay apart."

"I'm beginning to see that. You look like a sick puppy dog too. All right. Maybe I can figure out a way for you to meet in the woods some night."

"I don't think Emerald would let me out then. It'll have to be during the day when she's gone."

"Do you know when that might be?"

"No."

"If only there were some way of your getting a message to me. What am I saying? If you go walking in the woods, Wolf will probably smell you and come running."

"You know. It just occurred to me. Emerald's granddaughter Pearl must be Little Red Riding Hood. I thought her name sounded familiar. I think Wolf mentioned it once."

"Shush," Tony said suddenly. "She's coming. Just stick to our cover stories. And, remember, your husband is still off fighting the trolls."

When Emerald came into the cottage she found Virginia serving tea to Tony.

"Oh, Emerald," Tony said, smiling and rising to his feet like a well trained gentlemen. "I'm glad you were finally able to join us."

"I've been trying to get ahead on my cheese making," Emerald said, hanging her cloak on a nail by the door. A stray blond hair had fallen down into her face and she pinned it back. "I need to put a fair amount aside right now for some trading I have in mind."

"Yes," Virginia said. "She's been working night and day."

"Well, not too much at night," Emerald said. "Just an hour or so. Virginia's being here has made the work go faster. Please, sit down."

"Oh, but I can't," Tony said. "Not while a beautiful lady like yourself is standing. You must be very tired from your work." He pulled out another chair at the table and said, "Here, you sit down and I'll serve you."

"In my own house, don't be silly," Emerald said, wiping her hands on her apron.

"I insist," Tony said. He motioned to the chair grandly and raised his eyebrows flirtatiously.

Emerald smiled and said, "Well, if you insist."

"That's better," Tony said. He helped her into the chair and then proceeded to wait on her with a flourish.

"So, what kind of things do you invent?" Emerald asked.

"Well, a lot of different things, really," Tony answered. My last major invention was something to take the seeds out of cotton."

"Really?" Emerald's eyes widened with interest. "Farm equipment. We could use a man like you in this community."

And so it went. Tony had a wonderful time drinking tea and talking about himself. He was very pleased with the wonderful job he was doing of charming the lady with the lovely green eyes. He even went so far as to tell her something about the time he'd helped a prince who'd been changed into a dog. Virginia sent him several disapproving glances. But he didn't care. There wasn't any harm in a little playful come-on, after all. When he left, he promised Emerald that he would return in a few days to bring her yet another pelt and visit his daughter. "And," he said with a wink, "I hope I will have the pleasure of seeing you again."

"I look forward to it," Emerald said with a wink back.

When Tony went back down the path, he found Wolf pacing back and forth restlessly. As soon as saw Tony, he came dashing over.

"Why did you take so long?" Wolf asked. "How is she? How did she look? Did she ask for me? How's she feeling?" As he asked these questions, he circled Tony like a dog begging for a treat.

"She's fine," Tony said, grabbing Wolf's shoulders in an effort to hold him still. "And she misses you very much."

"Oh!" Wolf couldn't help but jump again. "And you told her how much I miss her?"

"Yes, straight away. But I'm still not sure how we can get you together. I met Red Riding Hood's grandmother, by the way. Her name is Emerald and she's got bright green eyes like Topaz and beige blond hair."

"Yeah, so?"

"I told her I was helping a trapper in the forest and asked if she'd mind looking after Virginia till we were finished."

"And she believed you?"

"Of course," Tony said confidently.

"Really? I mean, you don't look much like an outdoorsman, Ton. In fact, you look more like somebody who's been eating a lot of rich palace food lately."

"I do not." Tony sucked in his stomach and tried to stand taller. "I have a stocky build, that's all. She believed me completely. I'm a very impressive guy when I turn on the charm."

Wolf rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"In fact." Tony straightened his clothes and smoothed his hair back. "I think she rather liked me."

Wolf licked his lips and wondered how much he should say. Then he remembered how horrible he'd felt being made to stay all this time by himself in the forest while the woman he yearned for was barely more than a few bounds away. "Tony, in your dimension I know the story of Red Riding Hood makes the grandmother sound old and feeble. And maybe she was by the time that took place. But the history of the Nine Kingdoms says she was a very smart and powerful woman in her youth. Don't start playing around here. This is not King Wendell's castle where you have a fine title and an important position with a nice income and a big reputation as a national hero. Maybe that all works together there to make you into some kind of love god. But here, you've got to be a little more realistic. Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother is not someone you can trifle with."

"So, I like having a little fun with the ladies. I'm sure you did plenty of that before you met Virginia."

"Honestly? No. Your daughter is my first and only love. Face it Tony. Lately you've been acting more like a wolf than a wolf. And this is one lady you've got to be careful of. If you get too friendly with her, who knows what she might get you to say?"

"O.K. Maybe you're right. I'll try and be more careful. But the ladies really do like me, you know."

Wolf sighed deeply and said, "Yeah, yeah. Dream on."


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

**At the Front**

Wendell called his staff together that same day to tell them of the message he'd received the night before from the Chancellor. "Queen Matilde is in residence at my castle," he said. "She's received word from Snow White through the Mirror of Truth that a great war is coming and that it's going to affect the Second and First Kingdoms as well as ours. I know it's been quiet here these last few days, as if the trolls had finally accepted defeat. And I know some of the men have been asking to go home. But we've got to stay in readiness." The King's blue eyes looked at each of them in turn, willing them to realize how serious this was. "The trouble is, we don't know what the trolls are planning. But we know it's going to be something special. The First Kingdom has taken this warning with equal gravity and they have also set up troops at their border."

"Has the Second Kingdom done so as well?" Lieutenant Burke asked.

"I don't know," Wendell said. "I haven't received any word from them. But I sent out a messenger first thing this morning to the Chancellor to inquire. Pass this information on to your troops, so they'll know we're not merely having them stay here on a whim."

"Yes, your Majesty," Lieutenant Burke said.

"You can go now. But Rose, I'd like you to stay for a bit."

"Yes, your Majesty," she said.

Wendell waited till the others had gone. Then he pulled the Chancellor's message from his pocket and handed it to Rose. "There was other news in the Chancellor's message that will be of personal interest to you," he said. "It seems your brother has gone on a quest for truth. The more I see of him, the more impressed I get."

Rose read the letter in silence and then said, "He had to go, of course. For his wife and our people."

"You're always talking about 'your people.' Are all wolves as devoted to the common good of their kind as you are?"

Rose laughed. "I guess I do tend to lay it on a bit. But, no. Wolves can be just as good and bad and divisive as anyone else. Being a hated people has helped to unite us sometimes, but we still war against each other. And although I would give my life for those fighting here, there are wolves that I've met through time that I knew couldn't be trusted. To our own families, though, we are always loyal."

"Am I family? I mean, uh, your people are here serving the state and I, uh, guess for all intensive purposes, I am the state."

"You mean are they loyal to you? Unquestionably. You've given them a new chance at life here. Of course, not all the wolves in your kingdom chose to come. But a great many did. And the ones who are here are willing lay down their lives for you, no matter what great war is ahead." Rose handed Wendell back the message.

"That's a great burden, you know. Being King isn't quite the lark of a job I once thought it would be."

"Only a fool would think of ruling as a lark," Rose said, smiling warmly at him. "And I don't think you're a fool."

"Thank you." Wendell returned her smile and their eyes held for just a moment. "You can return to your troops now."

"Yes, your Majesty," she said with a bow. And she was gone.


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

**Entertainments**

It was quite a night that night at Queen Red Riding Hood the Third's palace. The Queen had called for a Night of Entertainment. That was something she did often. And on those nights, the palace was filled with all the gaiety of a carnival. There were clowns and balloons and magicians by the score. There were puppet shows and acrobats and trained animals doing tricks. Then, in the later hours, there were plays and dancers and impressively dressed singers.

The Queen herself was of course in attendance, wearing a new gown of deep red velvet decorated with a multitude of little golden spiders with sparkling yellow stones for eyes. The spider idea had come from the Royal Soothsayer. The Queen had told him of a dream she'd had recently of a spider with golden eyes that had come toward her, reaching out with its long arms. At first she had been frightened by the dream. But the soothsayer told her the spider was a lucky omen, come to embrace her with great fortune. So instead, Red had decided to celebrate the spider by ordering a gown made in its honor. And she'd called the Night of Entertainment, so she could honor the gown.

It was almost midnight and still the party raged. The Queen was watching a lively group of acrobats, when the Chancellor came to her side and asked to speak with her.

"Not now," Queen Red said with a wave. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"But, your Majesty," the Chancellor said. He was a much older man whose job weighed heavily on him. His white hair had receded to well below his ears and his eyes were almost lost in the myriad of wrinkles on his face. "We've just received a note from King Wendell. He wants to know if we're going to send troops to our border with the trolls as he and the First Kingdom are doing."

"Well, have I ordered any troops?" the Queen asked, still watching the performers on the little make-shift stage at the front of the room.

"No, your Majesty, you have not."

"So, that's your answer?"

"But, your Majesty, why are the First and Fourth Kingdoms arming for war with the trolls?"

"Wendell has a personal thing with them, you know that." The Queen put her gloved hand to her face and oohed over the trick one of the acrobats had just performed. "That was wonderful, don't you think?" she said applauding daintily.

"Yes, your Majesty," the Chancellor said, his wrinkles becoming more furrowed by the second. "It's wonderful. But about this war, I know King Wendell has been having trouble with the trolls. But how is the First Kingdom involved?"

"Oh!" The Queen turned from the entertainment, her green eyes flashing with irritation. "Queen Matilde sent us a message the other night saying Snow White had appeared in King Wendell's Mirror of Truth and warned her about some big war with the trolls."

"Really? I don't remember hearing about such a message."

"That's because I didn't tell you. Snow White said the First, Fourth, and Second Kingdoms were all in danger. I suppose because we all share a border with the trolls and their disgusting Third Kingdom. They wouldn't have that kingdom, of course, if Gretel the Great had handled things better."

"Yes," the Chancellor said under his breath. Of all the kingdoms begun by the Five Women Who'd Changed History, Gretel's had fared the worst.

Gretel the Great in her prime, was a very down to earth ruler who spurned all the trappings of royalty. That's why they called her Gretel the Great and not Queen Gretel. She never had any children of her own. Instead she called her subjects her children and gave herself totally to them and their welfare. Even the trolls respected her because she understood the ways and methods of war. Her one blind side was the succession.

Gretel had always considered her brother to be a wuss. So she absolutely refused to consider any of his children for the throne. Despite pleas from her advisors, she put off naming an heir till she was in her later years. Then, she was a much weaker woman, some even say she was feeble minded. She easily fell prey to a conniving cousin from some distant branch of the family. He was a charming young man with great good looks and a flattering tongue. Gretel became quite fond of him and named him as her successor. After her death, he took control, gambled away the kingdom's treasury, and ignored the overgrowth problems with the Beanstalks. When he died suddenly by falling off his horse, probably drunk at the time, there wasn't much of a kingdom left.

And so the Third Kingdom finally went to the trolls by default, basically as a bribe to buy peace. And the original Beantown was abandoned, till it's rebuilding sometime later just inside the Fourth Kingdom.

"Anyway," Queen Red continued, "despite what Snow White said, I don't think we have anything to worry about. The trolls are only interested in bringing down Wendell. What do they care about us or the First Kingdom?"

"But if Snow White said so, your Majesty, wouldn't it be prudent for us to follow her suggestion? I mean, she's supposedly dead and she may know things that we don't."

Red sighed. "I suppose that's possible."

"And she was also a great friend of your grandmother's. Wouldn't you have a certain familial responsibility to take her warnings seriously? I mean, if only to be polite."

"Oh." Red's pretty lips drew into a pout. "I suppose. If you put it that way."

"And we could send the troops off with a big parade tomorrow. Think of it, all the people out cheering and you waving regally from the parapet in one of the your new gowns."

"Yes," she said, smiling. "That might be nice." Queen Red loved military parades. She thought she had the best dressed soldiers of any army in the Nine Kingdoms. Wendell's men wore navy with brass buttons. Cinderella's wore black with edges of green. King Cole's wore boring gray. The elves clothed their soldiers in drab olive green. The dwarves wore a combination of brown and forest, with their officers in navy. The naked Emperor's wore boring beige. And the trolls wore dirt brown with black. How utterly common they all were next to those of the Second Kingdom. Her soldiers were encased entirely in red with edgings of black and great tall red hats with black pompoms. When they marched in formation you could see them from miles away and, oh, how it made her heart pound to see them. They were a triumph of fashion! "All right," she said, convinced at last. "I suppose we have nothing to lose. Tell Wendell we'll send our troops to the troll border tomorrow. And begin putting together preparations for the military parade at once."

"Yes, your Majesty," the Chancellor said with a deep bow. It had taken a bit of work, but once again he'd cajoled the Queen into being sensible.


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

**When Love Has Limits**

Topaz believed readily that Virginia wanted to stay on at her mother's in an attempt to help mend things between them. She had gotten a very warm feeling from Virginia the first time they'd met. And now that she knew her husband was also a wolf, she felt a strong bond between them.

"That's so nice of her," Topaz told Tony. "I was going to go there tomorrow. Virginia's being there will give me strength."

True to her word, Topaz left the next morning after the breakfast things had been washed and put away.

Aesophocles tried to be supportive of her desire to heal the rift with her mother. But he wasn't hopeful. "I wouldn't tell her this," he said to Wolf and Tony after she'd gone. "But I think there's a limit to how much certain people can love someone else. From what I know of Emerald, I think she has a very limited ability to love."

"Virginia thinks she loves Opal's daughter quite a lot," Tony said.

Wolf gave him a sharp look of warning.

"Yes," Aesophocles said. "Her feelings for Pearl are different. Before Topaz came to live with me, she used to talk about Emerald's obsession with the child, almost from birth. But I suspect it's because she has dreams of building a dynasty and Pearl is the means to that end. I don't think she'll ever think of our little unborn daughter in the same way."

When Topaz walked down the path just in front of her mother's house, the goats were already in the yard grazing on their own. Topaz's hands started shaking as she approached the front door, not from the cold but from nervousness. She tried to make her knock sound confident and strong. But it still came out hesitant.

"Coming," Virginia's voice sounded from inside. She was getting a class on spinning that morning and was glad for the interruption.

"Now who could that be?" Emerald said.

Virginia opened the door and said, "Topaz! Please come in."

"No!" Emerald said, rising to her feet. "Get out! I don't want you in my house. And you!" She turned sharply on Virginia. "How dare you let her in. I told you, my daughter is dead!"

"But, I'm not dead, Mama," Topaz said. "And pretending I am won't make any difference."

"I told you when you left here never to come back. From now on, as far as I'm concerned, you're dead."

"Emerald!" Virginia stepped in-between them and stretched her hands out imploringly toward the older woman. "She's your daughter. Can't you see how much she loves you?"

"If she loved me she wouldn't have gone off with that filthy animal." Emerald sat down at her spinning wheel again and began working feverishly.

"He's not an animal, Mama. He's good and kind and loving and intelligent."

"He's a seducer and a liar and he used trickery to get you to go off with him."

"That's not true."

"He a predator, cruel and calculating."

"No more than you are," Topaz said bravely.

"What?"

"You heard me. I've seen the way you twist all the locals around your finger. I've seen you calculate and threaten and seduce."

"How dare you." Emerald stopped spinning. Her hands were shaking too hard with anger. "Get out of my house!" she said gesturing toward the door with her fist.

Topaz crossed her arms over her chest and refused to move. "It's my house too. I grew up in it. I starved with you in the bad times and worked beside you doing the chores when Opal was too young to help. Do you remember that, Mama?"

"Of course, I remember. That's when you were a good daughter. I loved you then. But not anymore."

"Let me get this straight," Virginia said. "You stopped loving her because she married someone you didn't like?"

"It's not that simple," Emerald said. "You don't understand. Obviously she's been here and talked to you while I was out. She got your sympathy. But I'll bet she didn't tell you who or what she married. Did she? Well, I will. She ran off with a wolf, a dirty disgusting animal! It's an insult to the entire human race."

"He's not an animal," Topaz said.

"Then what would you call him?"

"Sasha, your Billy goat is an animal, spending his whole day with nary a thought in his head. But Aesophocles is intelligent and thoughtful."

"So you say. He's seduced you to his side, that's clear enough. Is that the intelligence you're talking about?"

"Please," Virginia said to Emerald. "Maybe you'll never be able to agree with what Topaz did. But she's your daughter. Don't you love her enough to get past this."

"Maybe I loved her once." Emerald turned away and started spinning again. "But no more."

"Mama. Can't you at least try and patch things up between us."

"No. Not unless you leave that filthy animal and come back here at once like an obedient daughter. I only want obedient daughters."

"You know I can't do that."

"Then I want nothing to do with you."

"Mama." Topaz didn't know if this was the right time to tell her. But she didn't know when or if she'd have another chance. "Mama, I think you should know. I'm going to be giving you another grandchild."

Emerald stopped spinning again. "What?" As she took in the meaning of her daughter's words, her green eyes burned brighter and brighter till they flashed with fury. "What did you say?"

"I know you won't love our daughter as much as you love Pearl. But it would mean so much to me if you would at least give her a chance."

"Get out of my house!" Emerald screamed. "I'll never accept any wolf as my grandchild. It's an abomination. A dirty disgusting animal!"

"Mama, please."

"If you won't go, I will!"

With that, Emerald stepped out from behind her spinning wheel and strode out the door of the cabin, leaving it wide open behind her. Topaz tried to pull her back, but Emerald shoved her aside roughly

.

"Mama?" Topaz yelled after her. "Mama!"

Emerald never looked back. She marched single-mindedly to the barn and secured the heavy door behind her.

As the tears started to fall, Virginia put her arms around Topaz and let her cry for as long as she wanted. They were long racking sobs full all of the heartbreak of a daughter who would never really know her mother's love.

"I know," Virginia said. "I've been there. Get it out. Get it all out."

"I'm sorry you got involved in all this," Topaz said at last.

"Not at all. I just wish I could have said or done more."

"There wasn't anything you could have done." Topaz dabbed at her eyes with the end of her rust colored shawl.

"Well, I haven't given up yet. Maybe after your mother gets used to the idea, she'll come around."

"I wouldn't bet on it. I think I was wrong to even mention the name of her precious Pearl in the same breath with my little daughter. An animal. That's what she called her."

"You're little girl isn't going to be an animal, anymore than my little boy will be."

Topaz put her arms around Virginia and hugged her gratefully. "I'm so glad I met you. I don't feel so alone anymore. It's been really hard."

"I know. Believe me, I know. True love takes some strange turns sometimes, doesn't it?"

"It certainly did for me."

"Well," Virginia said, "I don't think there's any point in your staying here and waiting for round two with your mother. She's probably going to stay in the barn for a long time."

"I'll go. Aesophocles will be worried about me. You sure you don't want to come?"

"No. I haven't given up yet. Your mother's supposed to have a big meeting here tonight. Your sister's coming. Maybe I can get her to help."

Topaz pushed back a dampened lock of her red hair from her face. "I don't think Opal will want to get involved. Mama broke her spirit a long time ago. Now for the first time in Opal's life, Mama's happy with her. She won't want to jeopardize that, for her or Pearl."

"Well, I can try."

"All right. But whatever you do, don't tell her about you and Wolf. I'm afraid it wouldn't be safe for you if you did."

"Don't worry. I won't tell her. Now you go on home."

Topaz hugged Virginia once more and returned to the forest.

Emerald didn't come out of the barn till almost dark. Her manner was gruff toward Virginia, but not unkind. Evidently she'd decided the girl was an innocent dupe who just didn't know any better. "I know you meant well, Virginia," she said. "But you don't know these wolves like I do. I've lived with them and fought against them all my life. And things are just getting worse."

"But she's your daughter," Virginia said.

"Not anymore. What she is now is dirty."


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

**Blood Money**

It began to snow not long after Topaz left. It wasn't a heavy snow, but it was steady. There was about two inches on the ground when the local townspeople started to arrive for Emerald's meeting. Every one of them was carrying a bag of some kind. Most were made of coarse burlap, but a couple were made of soft deerskin. Emerald had them bring the bags into her barn, where she locked them in her cheese making room along with a collection of several other packages that she'd gotten at the general store in exchange for her cheese.

Virginia didn't understand what the whole thing was about at first. She was much too involved with trying to get Topaz's sister alone.

Opal had a much sturdier frame than her sister did, but she had the same lovely red hair and green eyes. Her daughter Pearl, the future Queen Red Riding Hood the First, took after her in looks. But it was obvious from the way the child acted that she had her grandmother's strong will. She wanted to put herself into everything and touch everything. And the word "No" wasn't in her vocabulary. That was mostly because her grandmother insisted that whatever she wanted she should have.

When Pearl kept reaching for a charm of carved wood worn on a string around the neck of one of her grandmother's guests, Opal told the child, "No, Honey. That's not a toy."

Emerald, however, said, "Oh, I'm sure Isabella won't mind taking it off and letting her play with it. Would you, Isabella?" Emerald gave the young owner of the charm a sharp commanding look that reminded Virginia of the old gypsy woman she and Wolf and her father had met once, the one who'd cursed her with long hair.

Young Isabella, a dark plump girl with round cheeks, blinked twice and immediately handed the charm to baby Pearl. Of course, Pearl having no understanding of such things, promptly put it into her mouth and started to chew on it. A look of pain crossed Isabella's face for a moment. But then she turned away and never asked for it back.

In the midst of the confusion of people arriving and bringing things to the barn, Virginia managed to pull Opal off into the second bedroom that had once belonged to Emerald's two daughters and was now serving as Virginia's room.

"I just wanted to talk to you about your sister," Virginia said, closing the door to the room.

"My sister?" Opal said. A look of fear and concern swept over her face. "Is she all right?"

"Yes. She came today to see your mother."

"And?"

"And she tried to make peace with her, but they argued instead."

"Oh." Opal shook her head sadly. "I wish they would make up."

"Then you're not angry about," Virginia paused as she wondered how to put it, "about your sister's choice in husbands?"

"No. Topaz is so much like our father; you could almost see it coming. He died when I was very young. But I remember how much he loved the forest and nature. He used to take me out on walks with him to look at the tracks the animals left in the snow overnight. And he used to explain how everything worked together so the forest was actually like a living thing. I don't think he ever wanted to be a farmer. He did it for mother, because she wanted so badly to build the community of my grandfather's dreams. But I think my father would have been happier living in the forest as a hunter and trapper, maybe doing a little carpentry work on the side. He was wonderful with his hands. But farm work almost left his fingers crippled. I remember my mother soaking his hands every night in lineament and bandaging them before he went to bed."

"Your sister's expecting, you know."

"What?" Opal's green eyes lost the dreamy quality they'd had a moment ago. Now they were filled with alarm. "Oh, no. I'm afraid to think what'll happen now."

Virginia moved closer to the younger woman. "Don't you think we could work on your mother for Topaz?"

"What? Oh, no. I couldn't." The alarm in Opal's eyes was becoming more pronounced. "If I did that, I'd lose everything."

"But she's your sister and you obviously love her."

"I do."

"And you don't seem to be against her."

"I'm not."

"Are you upset about her having a baby?"

"No. I wish her every happiness, but I can't do anything for her. Except maybe to suggest that she leave here as soon as possible. Go far away and never come back."

"I don't think she'll do that."

Opal shook her head sadly. "Then there's nothing I can do."

A young man's voice in the livingroom called, "Opal, we're about to start, Honey."

"That's my husband. If I don't go right away, my mother will get suspicious. She'd have a fit if she knew I was talking to you about Topaz."

"But."

"I can't do anything. Just tell Topaz I love her." Opal grasped Virginia's arm tightly. "And, tell her to go away as soon as she can." With that, Opal turned and fled from the room."

"Opal," the young man's voice said again. "Oh, there you are. Could you take Pearl? She's just wiggling all over the place. She always seems to behave better for you."

When Virginia came out into the livingroom, she found Emerald standing at the center, surrounded by a quiet collection of her neighbors in town. They were homespun folks with country faces and work weary hands and expressions. Emerald stood in their midst and spoke with confidence and authority. They looked on in rapt attention, nodding occasionally when it was indicated.

"All right, then," Emerald began. "I'll go see the bounty hunters tomorrow. There are five of them that have come in answer to our request and they're all staying in back of Eugene's store. They're very gifted with bow and arrow from what I hear. And they've learned to work together to flush out the wolves and then shoot them down. As per their request, we've traded most of our goods for sugar and coffee with a few furs for added good measure. They'll get the agreed on price of three pounds of sugar or coffee or two small pelts for every wolf carcass or skin they deliver to me here."

"What? You can't be serious." Virginia said. She'd been standing on the edge of the crowd till then. Now she came forward, as if to address everyone. But she never got the chance.

Emerald closed the space between them quickly and placed a strong hand under her chin, forcing her mouth to close. "This girl staying with me is sweet and kind, but a little addled. She doesn't understand how things are around here."

Virginia tried to pull away, but Emerald put her other arm around her waist and held her tight. Out of the corner of her eye, Virginia could see Opal giving her fearful looks. And she thought for a moment that she heard a little hum coming from her ring, but no one else seemed to notice. Virginia remembered how Snow White had warned them to be careful or they would get caught up in the danger of this place. For the first time she realized the importance of this warning. The little ring hummed again and Virginia covered it with her hand. She could feel it vibrate under her fingers and knew it was telling her not to speak.

Emerald was much too caught up in her own thoughts to notice a quick little hum. "This girl hasn't seen the dwindling game in the forest in the fall and winter that threatens our very survival," Emerald went on. "She doesn't see the blood of lambs scattered across the spring snows. She doesn't know the dangers our children, especially our little girls are in every time they step outside of their homes or into the woods. But she will in time. Even the slowest of girls learn in time. The only good wolf is a dead wolf."

Had Virginia imagined it, or had her baby just moved inside of her? Instinctively, she moved her hand to her stomach.

Emerald saw Virginia's hand move. She interpreted it to mean that the girl had finally gotten the message and was showing concern about protecting the child inside of her from the dreaded threat of the wolves. Slowly she released Virginia and turned her formidable gaze on the other people seated and standing around the room. "This agreement with the bounty hunters will be but our first step toward exterminating all the wolves from our land. We won't stop till every one of them is dead. Only then will we all be safe."

Virginia said not another word that evening, but remained passively quiet as she saw Opal do. At the end of the meeting, everyone solemnly put on their cloaks and headed out into the night. It had stopped snowing, leaving about five inches on the ground. The thirty odd pairs of feet made a mess of the pure whiteness on the path as they headed back to their own homes.

"You see now why we have to do this," Emerald said, as Virginia helped put things back into place.

Virginia felt her ring vibrate on her finger again, warning her. "Yes," she said. She wanted to add something about Topaz still being her daughter, but the ring seemed to know what was on her mind. It started humming again.

Emerald thought Virginia was the one humming. "That's a nice tune," she said. "Where did you learn it?"

"From a friend," Virginia answered. "A very wise friend. I think I'll be going to bed now."

"Of course, Dear. And don't worry. In time you'll get to know everyone and understand our ways."

"Yes. Good night."

Once alone in her room, Virginia sat on the edge of the bed in the dark and talked to her ring. "What do I do now?" she asked. "I've got to warn them. Maybe I'll wait till she's asleep and go out and look for Wolf."

Her engagement ring glowed brighter and raised up its little pearl head.

"Emerald has a plan tonight," it sang.

"To count till early morning light.

So tomorrow she can say,

Just how much they all can pay."

"Pay?" Virginia said. "You mean to the bounty hunters?"

"The price of blood is sweet, I fear,

It's better that you should stay here.

Your safety is important too.

There's nothing now that you can do.

"Tomorrow when she goes to town,

Just run away and you'll be found.

Tell them if it gives you peace,

But what's to come, you cannot cease."

"Maybe not," Virginia said. "But I've got to try."

Suddenly off in the night, she heard the call of a wolf. It howled once, then paused. Then sounded again.

"Is that Wolf?" Virginia said, running to the window. But all she saw was darkness brightened slightly by the newly fallen snow.

"The cry within the woods you hear," her ring sang,

"Is not the one that you hold dear.

The wolves have seen the crowd descend.

They know it means their bitter end.

"Aesophocles does call tonight,

To tell them all it's time to fight.

Though your love is very near,

It's safer now to sleep, my Dear."

Sleep was about the farthest thing from Virginia's mind. But she tried to follow the ring's advice. She didn't just have herself to worry about, after all. She had her baby to think of too.

As soon as she settled down under the covers, the ring began to sing again. This time its song was soft and soothing like a lullaby. It was a song the ring sang a lot these days.

"A fairy queen does watch you sleep," it sang sweetly.

"And will tonight your safety keep.

Have no more worries for today,

But let them all just fade away.

"Dream of flowers and of fun,

And of days played in the sun.

Dream of love and family,

And of rainbows you will see.

"Dream of stars and magic too.

All these things will come to you.

A fairy queen does watch you sleep,

And will tonight your safety keep."


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

**The Council of Truth**

"Do you intent to sit up all night again?" Leaf Fall asked.

Matilde looked up from the big overstuffed chair she was sitting in toward her stepdaughter's erect figure. "You know the answer to that question, so why bother asking?"

"Surely your crystal ball would let you know if anything important were happening."

"Of course, but I'd have to drag it everywhere I went." She waved toward the crystal, which was nestled in a special white cloth on a table next to her. "And then because I hadn't been watching, there would be a flurry of questions that I'd have to ask to find out what was going on. Time would be lost."

"I'm sure Snow White is keeping an eye on them."

"I'm sure she is." Matilde leaned back into her chair once again and rearranged her legs on the great ottoman before her. "But Snow is dead and that limits the power she has in corporeal form. In case of emergency, someone needs to be ready to intervene."

Leaf Fall floated daintily into the room and sat in one of the four remaining chairs placed strategically in front of the Mirror of Truth.

King Eranthis had taken to calling the group of them the Council of Truth. They met everyday, though not at specific times. And they either sat and watched the developments in the past as they unfolded, or they asked the mirror to show them later.

Cinderella was very intent on her duty and spent more time in the mirror room than anyone else except Matilde. However, Cinderella's great age caused her to fall asleep a lot in her chair. Happily, her snoring was always very low and ladylike. When she awoke, whoever happened to be seated next to her would fill her in on what she had missed.

Leaf Fall spent a lot of time in the mirror room. But she was also keeping track of the elf spies that she had watching the borders of the troll kingdom. She wanted everyone, especially the Council, to be aware of what was going on there. Obviously the truth they were seeking in the past and the coming war were intertwined in some way. She wanted to be aware of how as soon as possible.

King Eranthis divided up his time between keeping a close watch on the mirror and helping Lord Rupert continue Tony's work on the cannons. The dwarves believed totally in Snow White. If she said a great war was coming, then it was. And these new weapons seemed a good thing to develop. Eranthis had quickly appreciated the use of black powder. His people had used the explosive substance to some extent in their mining work for a very long time.

Old King Cole was probably the least involved in sitting before the mirror. Oh, he kept up with things and wasn't derelict in his duty. But that was mostly because he knew his mother, the Lady Rapunzel, would come back from her grave and start haunting him again if he did otherwise. Fact was she'd done it twice already. When she was alive she'd always chided him for not taking things seriously enough, for partying too much, and not getting enough exercise. Well, maybe all that was true. But King Cole's parents had done such an excellent job of handling the Fifth Kingdom. It was now the lead producer of meat and dairy products in the Nine Kingdoms. Cole figured there wasn't much for him to do but enjoy his country's bounty.

"Has anything important happened?" Leaf Fall asked.

"Not since everyone left."

All five of them had been present to watch the meeting of the farmers in Emerald's livingroom. When Emerald had clamped her hands around Virginia, Matilde had risen to her feet and grasped her cane in readiness. If things had gone wrong, she fully intended to zap back into the past and whisk the girl away.

"As you can see, the mirror has gone dark," Matilde said. "That means there's nothing happening that we need to see. Virginia has taken the advice of her ring and gone to bed. Emerald is putting together little bundles in her barn in preparation for the bounty hunters. Tony has fallen asleep in front of the fire at Aesophocles's hut. Aesophocles himself is notifying the local wolves to be on guard. Topaz is asleep in her room. And Wolf is circling close to Emerald's cottage, keeping watch over it."

"I did some checking in the history books, but I couldn't find any mention of this girl Topaz. It's as if she never existed."

"I know. I checked too. I myself wasn't actually in this dimension at the time this all happened. I was off visiting another one. I did a lot of dimension hopping back in those days."

Leaf Fall adjusted the filmy material in her skirt and said, "I've thought of asking Red if anyone in her family has ever mentioned Topaz to her, but I just haven't gotten around to it."

"You're afraid to ask, aren't you? You're even afraid to let her know there's an investigation going on."

"Well, nothing is conclusive yet. There's no point in angering her."

"I agree." Matilde rapped her cane on the beautifully polished floor for emphasis. "If Red's kingdom is about to be thrust into a war, she should be concentrating on that. And hopefully she is."

"Where do you think all this is leading?"

"I really have no idea." Matilde shifted herself around so she could look more fully at Leaf Fall. "You know, I haven't asked how your husband King Woodbine is. And how are your daughters Forsythia and Amaranth?

"They're all fine. Woodbine stays at home and concentrates on ordering the servants about. The girls have left home and are trying their wings for the first time."

"You sound worried."

"Not at all. But I would like the girls to take more interest in the affairs of the kingdom. Even though we are starting to move toward a parliamentary system like the First and Ninth Kingdoms, Amaranth, as the oldest, will still be expected to attend functions and someday sit on the Council of the Nine Kingdoms."

"Well," Matilde said, tilting her head back, "it seems to me that you were pretty headstrong at that age too."

"Perhaps. But I always thought of being Queen, first and foremost."

Matilde laughed under her breath. "I can't argue with you there. After all, you married Woodbine to strengthen your claim to the throne."

Leaf Fall's wings twitched a touch at this. "Not at all. I loved Woodbine."

"Your father told me he was very concerned about your marrying Woodbine. It turned out all right, I suppose. But it worried him. He was afraid you did it because you were ashamed of your mother."

"I was not ashamed." Leaf Fall rose quickly to her feet. Her wings were beating stronger now.

"Maybe that was too strong a word. You loved your mother, but you were afraid your father's elf subjects would never accept a half human as their queen. So, you married a man who was a good hundred years older because his family had a title and was well respected. You thought it would strengthen your claim to the throne."

"I was a fool then," Leaf Fall said pacing back and forth. "I was fifty. Cinderella and the rest of the Five Women Who Changed History were all the same age as me. They'd created great kingdoms and I wanted to do the same."

"Well, it worked. Your people thought much higher of you after you married Woodbine. But of course that was before the Magic War. Before your father gave his life in the final battle with Mazarin the Wizard and banished him to another dimension. After that, the elves wouldn't have cared if you were half-dragon and married to a dormouse. You were the only child of their fallen hero king. They wouldn't have had anyone else for their queen."

"I know."

"Oh you weren't the only one who got favored because of your father. I know I got elected President of the Council mostly because I was your father's widow."

"Not entirely. You fought in the war, remember. You were a hero in your own right." Leaf Fall came to a stop in front of the Mirror of Truth and starred into its darkened surface. She couldn't see her reflection. Since the mirror's attention was directed entirely at the past, it could reflect none of the present. "Woodbine insisted we spend the war hiding under a water fall at the edge of the Ninth Kingdom."

"Well, his family may be old and titled, but they've never been famous for their courage."

"Ever since then I've been trying to make myself into a true queen and do the right thing by my people and the whole of the Nine Kingdoms."

"Now, Leaf." Matilde got up from her chair and crossed to her stepdaughter. "No one blames you for the choice you made during the war. You had two small children to think about. And as for your mother, she was every bit royalty, even if she wasn't born with a title. Some elves and fairies think less of mortals because they don't live as long as we do." Elves lived somewhere in the neighborhood of four hundred years. And fairies close to a thousand. That is, if they weren't struck by horrible curses. "They think the brevity of a human life somehow makes them less important. But that's pure dragon dung. There's not a butler or a scullery maid in this palace right now who isn't worth a million times more than the Wizard Mazarin or the Evil Queen. Your mother was a great lady. And, even if I don't like saying it, so are you."

Leaf Fall turned to examine Matilde's clear blue eyes.

"There's not a one in the Nine Kingdoms who thinks more about the greater good than you," Matilde continued. "Even if you do let that attitude of yours get in the way sometimes."

"Was that a compliment?"

"It's as much as you'll ever get from me."


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

**Warning**

In the morning, Virginia worked hard to act as normal as possible. She helped prepare breakfast with Emerald and she listened carefully as the older woman explained how they would be adding hay to the diet of the goats.

"They can still do some grazing through the snow," Emerald said. "But they might choose to stay inside the barn. I'll climb into the hayloft and throw down a couple of bales. You can loosen them. After that, I've got to go into town. You can take care of dinner."

"Of course."

"You can make some stew out of the venison my son-in-law brought."

"Sounds good."

"There are some root vegetables in the cupboard. I should be back before dark."

"Fine."

After Emerald left, Virginia flew through her chores and shooed the goats out into the yard. Since she'd seen Topaz come out of the forest at a spot not far from the barn, she decided to try going that way. It was hard walking through the snow and brush. And there weren't any tracks to lead her. So, she just wandered on. She was very upset about everything she'd heard the night before and she was anxious to tell someone, anyone, what had happened.

The woods were beautiful. The deciduous trees didn't look so dark and barren anymore with their edgings of snow. The green branches of the pines seemed almost proud of their white decorations. And every now and again, a dusting of snow would come sparkling down to the forest floor. But it was hard for Virginia to concentrate on the loveliness around her. Her thin shoes hadn't been made for the dampness and her feet were beginning to feel a chill.

Suddenly she heard a noise behind her. She turned around just in time to see Wolf's dark form bounding toward her. Without a word he scooped her up into his arms.

"Wolf!" she said burying her face in the warmth of his neck. "Wolf."

"Oh, Virginia," he said breathlessly. He kissed her face and her hair and then hugged her again.

"You found me."

"I stay around Emerald's house a lot. This morning I smelled you walking in the forest." He brushed the hair out of her face. It was getting longer again. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, but I've got news. Emerald and the farmers have hired some bounty hunters. They plan to exterminate all the wolves in the forest."

"Aesophocles thought they might be planning something like that." Lovingly he ran his hands over her face as if he still couldn't believe she was there. Then he kissed her again.

Virginia shivered.

"You're cold," Wolf said.

"My feet are wet."

"Aesophocles's hut isn't far from here. Come. We'll get you something warm to drink."

Wolf put his arm around Virginia to try to give her as much of his body warmth as he could. Just before they reached the hut, they ran into Scythian.

"Scythian, this is my wife Virginia," Wolf said.

Scythian nodded his youthful gray head and eyed Virginia carefully.

"Hi," Virginia said. She was visibly starting to shake now.

"Topaz left a good fire," Scythian said.

"Is she home?"

"No. She went out with my father to talk to the other wolves. And Tony went into town to trade some furs and pick up supplies."

"The farmers are hiring bounty hunters," Virginia said through chattering teeth. "I heard them last night."

"It won't be the first time farmers have sent out bounty hunters against us. My father thinks we should go deeper into the forest."

"Might be a good idea," Wolf said.

"Maybe. You'd better get her inside. Topaz always runs a good fire and leaves a kettle of hot water on it."

"Are you coming?"

"No. My father said I should keep watch for signs of trouble while they're having their meeting."

Virginia shivered again and Wolf pulled her closer. "We'd better be going. See you later, Scythian."

"So that was your grandfather?" Virginia said after Scythian had disappeared back into the forest.

"Yes."

"He's a bit intense."

"You should see him when he gets older. He's gonna be a lot worse. He died when I was very young. So I really don't remember him well. But my foster parents were devoted to him. I don't remember my father talking about him much, though."

"Was your father like him?"

"Not that I remember. Maybe he took after Scythian's mate."

As Scythian had said, the fire was going well and there was hot water in the kettle that hung above it. Wolf arranged some blankets in front of the fire and sat Virginia down on them. Then he made her some of Topaz's herbal tea. As she drank it, he wrapped himself around her and nuzzled her gently. When she was finished, they made love in front of the fire.

Afterwards, he put his hand over her stomach and said, "You've gotten bigger."

"I know. Rose and Wendell's doctor both said wolf crosses develop quickly at first, then slow down."

Wolf pulled her clothes around her. "You should stay covered so you don't catch a chill again. I've been wondering, what's Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother like?"

"Emerald?" Virginia snuggled into Wolf's arms and rested her head on his chest. "She's pretty bossy. She thinks she has a right to lead everyone's life for them. And if they don't do what she wants, she cuts them dead."

"How does she treat you?"

"Except for one moment last night when she thought I was going to cross her, she's been pretty good to me."

"Hmm. Well, my self-help books would say that she's basically lost a daughter in Topaz, so she's probably looking to make you her replacement."

"Oh no, thank you very much." Virginia shook her head and waved her left hand dismissively. "I've already had one difficult mother, I don't need a second. I just wish there was something I could do, you know. What good are we doing here if we can't change anything?"

"We found you. That's reason enough for me. And I think you've given a lot of comfort to Topaz. She's always telling us how much she likes you. And how glad she is that you two met."

"So at least I've done some good."

Wolf touched her face again. "Oh, huff-puff. You've got such corky freckles."

"So have you," she said, touching the most prominent on his nose.

Their reverie was broken by a knock on the door.

"Wolf? Virginia? Are you in there?" Tony's voice said.

"Yes," Virginia said. "Just a minute."

"Quickly they got dressed and tossed the blankets from the floor into a corner."

"Daddy," Virginia said as she opened the door.

"Scythian said you were here. I guess you two found each other without any trouble."

"I smelled her in the woods," Wolf said.

"Yeah," Tony said. "I know you've been hanging around Emerald's cottage. You're just lucky no one has seen you yet."

"It's going to be even more dangerous now," Virginia said. "Emerald went into town today to talk to some bounty hunters about exterminating the wolves."

Tony nodded and put the burlap sack he was carrying on the little table near the cupboard. "So that's who she was talking to. I went to buy some supplies for Topaz. She's been so good about taking care of us. I wanted to give her something in return. Anyway, I saw Emerald talking to these five unsavory looking characters. If she'd been alone I would have talked to her. Instead, I just waved and flashed her one of my special smiles." His brows tweaked up into his hairline and his eyes sparkled. "She kind of likes me, doesn't she?"

"Emerald?" Virginia looked more than a bit surprised. "Sorry to disappoint you, Dad. But she thinks you're a real no-account. Do you want some tea?"

"No. What do you mean? I thought I had her charmed."

"She says your hands don't show any signs of honest work and you've got too much of a belly to be an outdoorsman."

"I told you," Wolf said.

"She thinks you probably get along mostly by spinning tall tales for drinks and food in barrooms. That story you told about saving the prince who'd been changed into a dog, she didn't believe a word of it."

"But it was true!"

"She still didn't believe it. Remember, you gave her an old fur and told her you'd just gotten it trapping."

Tony thrust out his lower lip. "I thought my explanation for that was very reasonable. That I didn't want to give her a fresh pelt because it was messy."

"After that, she didn't believe anything you said. She figures you've been out in the woods drinking, poaching, and avoiding work. And she intends to reform you into a decent farmhand come spring."

"Oh, does she really?" Tony said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Probably on her son-in-law's farm, so she can keep an eye on you."

"Well, that's just fine!"

Wolf walked Virginia back through the woods well before dark. They stopped at the edge of Emerald's yard and kissed for a long time near a low bending pine.

"You'd better go in before you catch a chill again," Wolf said at last.

"I don't want to go," she said, folding his collar around his neck.

"It can't be much longer now. Something's about to happen. I can feel it."

"You just be careful walking in the woods with those bounty hunters."

"You too."

He gave her another kiss and then said, "You'd better go. She might be back any minute."

"O.K." She stepped out into the yard. Sasha came over to greet her. "Be careful."

"You too," Wolf said. And he was gone.

The sky was darkening when Emerald finally came home. Virginia already had dinner ready and the table set.

"Sorry I'm so late," Emerald said, hanging her cloak by the door. "I got caught up in haggling with Eugene. He got this shipment of cloth in today, hand made by elves he said." She patted the large burlap package in her arms. "Well, I don't know about the elves. But when I saw it, I just had to have it, all of it. I had some extra cheese put aside that I promised to bring him next week in exchange." Emerald opened her bundle and exhibited the material proudly for Virginia. "See. It's bright cherry red wool. I've been thinking for a long time that little Pearl would look good in red. What do you think?"

Virginia's mouth opened but no sound came out.

"I know it's a lot of material for such a small child, but I don't plan to use it all at once. I figure I can use it over time."


	35. Chapter 35

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

**Allies**

"So," Blabberwort the troll said to her two brothers, "are you ready to meet our new allies?"

"I just need to straighten my armor," Burly said. He was polishing himself in front of the big mirror near the entrance to what had once been Gretel the Great's castle. "There. Do I not look like a great warrior?" He struck a terrifying pose.

"Yes, fine," his sister said, unimpressed. "You're keeping everyone waiting."

Burly admired his profile and smiled broadly at himself.

"Come on," Bluebell said.

"Just a minute." Burly adjusted his helmet and waved his sword in the air, while simultaneously giving his reflection an appalling grimace. He wanted to see how frightening he looked. He must have liked what he saw because his sneer changed to a smile. "Nicey nice," he said approvingly.

"Can we go now?" Blabberwort asked.

"Yes," Burly said, turning in the direction of the door. "We go!"

Blabberwort and Bluebell exchanged looks and followed their big brother out into the late morning.

The troll castle had a raised road leading down from it. Relish's three children marched out of the castle and right onto this road. A crowd of their people were waiting a little distance down from the castle to hear them speak. And right in front of the raised road, at shoulder level to it were three great male giants.

"My people!" Bluebell began, standing at the center of the raised road.

The giant standing at the center, a blond with a thick beard and matted hair, put his hand out for Bluebell to step on. Bluebell stepped boldly forth and the giant lowered him to the ground directly in front of the gathered trolls.

"This is Hoban the Horrible!" Bluebell shouted. "He is going to help me destroy the Fourth Kingdom!"

Hoban flexed his forearms to show off his muscles and gave a giant roar. The crowd of trolls cheered.

Now Blabberwort stepped forward on the raised road. "And this is Marron the Terrible!" she shrieked.

Marron was a redhead with bad teeth and a bulbous nose. He reached forth a hand and lowered Blabberwort to the ground at the foot of the raised road.

"He will help me flatten the First Kingdom!" Blabberwort yelled. "Two red heads to kill a redhead." She meant, of course, that they would kill Cinderella.

Marron smiled a wicked smile and drooled through the gaping holes in his teeth. The trolls cheered again.

Next Burly stepped forward. "And WE will crush the Second Kingdom," he announced waving his battle-ax in the air.

The third giant put out his scarred hairy hand for Burly to step onto. He had cruel amber colored eyes and thick black hair.

"This," Burly said, "is Spider the Merciless!"

The cheer was even louder from the trolls now. The soldiers among them raised their weapons in the air in imitation of Burly.

"This is just the beginning," Blabberwort said. "After we have conquered the First, Fourth, and Second Kingdoms, the other giants will join us and we will obliterate the rest of the Nine Kingdoms."

The cheering from the trolls was unbelievably loud now. As far as they were concerned, victory was already theirs. They were too busy celebrating to notice the lone elf buzzing at the back of a dead sycamore tree nearby. Nor did they see her fly off in the direction of King Wendell's castle.


	36. Chapter 36

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

**The Giant Threat**

While the cheering of the trolls was still fresh in their ears, the giants moved out to do battle. They went down the road leading away from the castle, past the stone statues of the famous giants of history that had been placed there by their ancestors eons ago and left by Gretel the Great as a reminder of things past. The trolls had left the statues there mostly because they were too lazy to take them down. But when trying to talk the three giants into joining them in the war, Blabberwort had referred to the sculptures as symbols of the enormous respect her people had for the giants. Giants are known for their size, not for their intellect. They had totally believed Blabberwort when she'd said this, even though Gretel had left them there as well and she certainly had no respect for giants. In fact, she'd fought with them many times. But that was all forgotten. Now the trolls and the giants were allies and the ancient statues were a sign of their union. When they came to the end of the road of monoliths, the giants separated and headed off toward their appointed enemy. Each of Relish's children followed behind his appointed giant with an army of troll soldiers.

Of the three kingdoms attacked, Wendell's was the most prepared. Before the blond giant Hoban with his great beard had reached the river between the Third and Fourth Kingdoms, the wolves had already smelled him coming. Wolves were made for attacking big game in a pack, albeit not game as big as a giant. As soon as Hoban stepped across the river, which to him was little more than a trickle, Carpathian howled for a troop of pureblooded wolves to attack from his right flank. Rose howled for another troop to attack from his left flank. And in front of him, was a quickly moving band of Wendell's navy clad archers with their brass buttons.

The wolves were able to move in and out quickly with relatively few casualties. Hoban tried to hit at them as they bit at his clothes and boots. But by the time he turned in their direction they were gone and Wendell's archers had managed to hit him with several painful arrows. It seemed doubtful that the combined wolf and human forces would be able to kill the giant. But they were a great success at keeping him completely at bay.

When the redheaded giant Marron began his attack on the First Kingdom, he had an easier time of it. Cinderella's black clad troops with the green edging did not have the advantage of wolf troops to help them. Marron was able to beat them back across their border with relative ease. He swung his battle-ax wildly in every direction and kept the archers largely at too great a distance for them to hit him. The only problem was he had to travel through a wooded area to get to get deeper into the kingdom. And that was where Cinderella's troops could hold him for awhile.

From his high position, Marron couldn't see the First Kingdom's soldiers clearly through the trees to hit them with his battle-ax or kick them out of the way. So they were able to get a clear shot at the giant's legs. It slowed him down considerably, but didn't actually stop him. The archers couldn't get arrows through the treetops into his more vulnerable areas.

The Second Kingdom took the worst hit of all. From the beginning it was obvious that they were in trouble. The tall heavy red hats with the pompoms that Queen Red Riding Hood the Third was so fond of didn't allow for quick movement. So, she had had her generals train the soldiers mainly to shoot in formation. This was a ridiculous thing to do in this case because they made an easy target for the battle-ax of the dark giant named Spider. They were all lined up for him like little red bowling pins.

Of course, the generals of the Second Kingdom called for the soldiers to throw away their hats and rush for the woods as Cinderella's troops had done. The Second Kingdom was covered with woods. In fact, there was no way for Spider to approach the Queen's castle without going through woods of some kind. But in this case the only advantage the woods gave the soldiers was that Spider couldn't hit them as readily with his battle-ax. He could still see their red uniforms quite clearly through the barren brown branches of the deciduous trees and the green pines. All he had to do was kick them out of the way or tap them with his battle-ax. Getting tapped by a giant with a battle-ax is roughly the same as getting mowed down by a raging bull. Within minutes, the Second Kingdom's army was in total confusion and Spider didn't even have to break a sweat.

The elf spy that had been at the troll castle was not able to get to Wendell's castle before the attack began. Even elves can only go so fast on their tiny wings. When the elf spy arrived, she found Queen Leaf Fall speaking to the serious faced Chancellor of the Fourth Kingdom. Breathlessly the elf told her story. And immediately, Leaf Fall and the Chancellor went to notify the other members of the Council who were in the mirror room. They all happened to be there at that moment, watching Tony and Wolf discussing the bounty hunters with Topaz in the past.

"I'm afraid I've got to interrupt this," Leaf Fall announced as she came into the mirror room. "I've just received word that the trolls have gotten three giants to help them conquer the First, Second, and Fourth Kingdoms."

"Oh, no," Cinderella said. She had just been dozing off, but this news brought her fully awake.

"We've got to send off a warning to the troops of those kingdoms at once," Leaf Fall said.

"It may be too late," Matilde said, rising to her feet and picking up her crystal ball. It was sitting at her side as usual covered by the special white cloth. "Giants have very long strides, you know. King Cole, will you keep watch here at the mirror and let us know if there are any emergencies?"

"Of course," Cole said, sitting up and looking somber. A war with the giants was very dangerous indeed.

"The rest of you, come with me," Matilde said. "We'll talk in Wendell's office."

Matilde led the way, her white gown glistening and swishing as she moved. Behind her came Leaf Fall and Eranthis. Cinderella followed more slowly on the patient arm of Wendell's Chancellor. That morning, her aging legs were especially stiff and her black velvet gown felt especially heavy.

Matilde placed the crystal in the center of Wendell's great wooden desk and uncovered it. Carefully she tucked the special white cloth all around. Then she sat down and stroked the crystal lovingly with the fingers of both her hands. "It recognizes my touch and my voice and won't respond to anyone else," she said. "I inherited it from my mother, who in turn inherited it from her mother before that. Which means it's several thousand years old. My little one," she said, addressing herself now to the crystal. "I need your help. Show me what's happening at the borders of the troll kingdom." Matilde grew silent for a couple of minutes as she stared into the crystal and saw things that only her eyes could see. "Well," she said at last, "it's too late to warn anybody. They're already under attack."

"King Wendell?" the Chancellor asked.

"Actually, he's doing rather well. At least in comparison to everyone else. The combined human and pureblooded wolf troops are doing an excellent job at keeping the giant at bay. I'd even venture a guess that they knew he was coming before he arrived. Giants don't bath very often, you know. Considering their massive size, it wouldn't be hard for a wolf to pick up their scent. Cindy, your kingdom isn't doing quite as well. But at least they're holding their giant attacker back somewhat. The troops of the Second Kingdom, however, are in a bad way. The battleground is littered with pieces of red uniforms. Evidently the soldiers are stripping them off and running ahead of the giant into the woods. If not for those woods, that giant would be at the castle by now. It's a good thing Red Riding Hood's grandmother didn't have her way about having them all cut down."

"We've got wolves," Cinderella said, leaning over the crystal ball into Matilde. "My government was the first to endorse Wendell's proclamation about Wolf being a hero. So, we didn't have any great migration of wolves out of our country. We just never thought to ask any of them to join the army."

"Well, Dear," Matilde said, "If I were you, I'd ask right away. From what I can see, the trolls are letting the giants do all the fighting. They're just standing back and sleeping or laughing. My guess is that they intend for the giants to attack by day. Then at night, when they have the advantage over human troops, the trolls intend to fight. That way they could keep up a constant battle. You're going to need a combination of both human and wolf troops just to keep the enemy at bay."

"I'll need to send a message to my Prime Minister and General Orozco at the front," Cinderella said.

"I'm sure Leaf Fall will be glad to lend you one, or maybe even several of her elves to bring your messages for you," Matilde said.

"Of course," Leaf Fall said.

"I'll give them some fairy dust to cut down on travel time," Matilde continued. "Cindy, while you're writing messages, I'd suggest sending one to Wendell to ask if he can spare a wolf captain or two to lead your new troops. Remember, his wolves are already seasoned campaigners."

"Yes, I'll do that. If we work quickly we can have it all in place by tomorrow."

"The problem," Matilde said, "is going to be the Second Kingdom. I don't think it can stand this onslaught."

"No wolves would help them," Cinderella said.

"And no one else either," Leaf Fall pointed out. "Not when they find out the giants are on the march. Everyone will want to keep their troops at home to protect themselves."

"There are the Ice Maidens," Matilde said. "And there is Demetrius."

The Ice Maidens were a race of female fairies born to the frozen north who had fought before in the defense of the Nine Kingdoms. Matilde had sent a group of them to Wendell's coronation as her representatives. Demetrius was a giant who'd made his home in the north in the depth of a mountain. He and Matilde had become friendly over the last seventy years and she knew he could be counted on.

"I think you should ask the Ice Maidens to keep watch over the border between the Sixth and Second Kingdom," Leaf Fall said. "If the Second Kingdom falls that might be the next place the enemy will strike. The Naked Emperor's great-grandson is roaring crazy and his kingdom is almost in a shambles as it is. His troops will need someone or something they can rally around if they are to hold back the giants and the trolls."

"Yes, and the Ice Maidens carry great respect." Matilde looked into the face of the Chancellor. His forehead was breaking out in beads of sweat and his expression had moved past its third level of extremely serious and had moved into a new fourth level that could only be described as transcendent seriousness. "From the Chancellor's grimace, I can see he's already realized that if the Second Kingdom falls, the Fourth Kingdom's danger will be even greater. The Second and Fourth Kingdoms share a very long border."

"That means the Fourth Kingdom will become the main firewall between the trolls and the rest of the Nine Kingdoms," King Eranthis said.

"So, if that happens," Matilde said, "I would prefer to have Demetrius fight there."

"Won't that leave your kingdom without protection?" the Chancellor asked Matilde.

"I will recall all the other fairies and have them guard the border with the Second Kingdom. Their magic and the rough terrain should hold back the advance of the giants and the trolls. Remember my kingdom is basically nothing but ice and snow with a few fairies and a giant living in it. Demetrius stays there because he's a dedicated hermit and doesn't have any addictions to feed like the other giants. Also, there aren't any humans. We took the Eighth Kingdom basically because fairies don't mind the cold and no one else wanted it. Mazarin the Wizard tried to take it because he's one of us and he knew he could rule from there with very little opposition. Nobody else would be interested in the place. I only wish we had more of a fairy population to join the fight. Because we live so long, there are never many of us at one time. Leaf Fall, you may have to pull some of your elves in defense of the Second Kingdom."

"Woodbine won't like that."

"So send him into hiding in that waterfall again."

"He'll probably do that anyway," Leaf Fall said.

"Good. Let him." Matilde covered the crystal with its special white cloth and rose to her feet. "We'll see if we can't get Cole to line up some troops too. Cinderella, you sit here and start writing those messages. Chancellor, I'm sure you'll be wanting to write one to Wendell as well."

"Oh, yes, indeed." His nervous fingers pulled a piece of paper out of a pile and began writing at once.

"Eranthis, how is that project of Lord Lewis's coming?

"Slower than we'd like."

"Well, speed it up. We're going to be needing those cannons."

"You're acquainted with this weapon?" Eranthis asked.

"Yes. I've been to Lord Lewis's dimension many times. How long will it take before they're ready."

"About another week. Maybe a bit more."

"Then somehow we've got to hold things together till then. Eranthis, I'll have my footman notify your Governing Council about this morning's developments."

"Thank you."

"I didn't ask you to consider sending troops because I need your people to work on those cannons. I'll also notify the Chancellor of the Fifth Kingdom for Cole and the Emperor of the Sixth Kingdom. Leaf Fall, do you want me to send my footman to Woodbine and your Council as well?"

"No. It would be better if I sent one of my own messengers."

"Fine. I'll also notify the Ice Maidens and Demetrius."

"Here's the letter for my Prime Minister," Cinderella said, handing a folded note to Leaf Fall. "And the one for Wendell. And the one for General Orozco at the front."

"And here's mine for the King," Wendell's Chancellor said.

"Good," Matilde said.

"My Prime Minister should be easy to find," Cinderella said. "He'll probably be at the castle. And if he's not, they'll know where to find him. As for General Orozco, he always leads from some prominent spot behind the action. He should be easily visible from the air."

"The same can't be said about Wendell," Matilde commented. "He's been threading in among the troops pretty close to the action. He'll be hard to pick out among all those navy-suited men. Leaf Fall, might I suggest you have Wendell's messages brought to Wolf's sister Rose. She's near the front too, but with all that red hair she stands out."

"Really?" Leaf Fall said. "Why her? Why not simply leave the message with one of the Wendell's men?"

"Because it'll take time before they're able to find him and I have a pretty good idea Rose will be able to scent him right away."

"I know wolves have a strong sense of smell," Leaf Fall said. "But, really, can she find him that quickly in the heat of battle?"

"Yes."

Leaf Fall shook her head. "You get some strange ideas sometimes."

"I know. And seeing as I'm only five hundred, I'll probably have a great many more. But in this case, if you'd been watching the borders of the troll kingdom and the armies camped there as carefully as I have, you wouldn't argue."

"But I have been. I've had elf spies all around."

"Yes, and they've done a wonderful job, Leaf Dear. But they can't see some of the intimacies that my crystal can. Send Wendell's messages to Rose. She'll be able to find him faster than anyone else can."


	37. Chapter 37

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

**At the Front**

As Matilde had said, King Wendell was watching the battle between his troops and the giant Hoban from a cluster of trees not far from the action. He was dressed in the same style uniform as his human troops, so as not to be picked out as a target by the enemy.

When Carpathian had reported to him that morning that a giant was approaching, he'd been astounded. But he knew better than to question his furry Captain. He'd never thought of the giants as possible attackers. After all, their obsession with alcohol kept them pretty harmless, albeit loud at times. People hardly ever saw giants anymore. Yet here was one swinging a battle-ax at his troops.

Just beyond the giant was a battalion of trolls, lounging under some trees on the other side of the river. At first they had watched and laughed. Then when Bluebell saw that Wendell's troops would not be so easily vanquished, he gave the order for his men to sleep.

It was infuriating for Wendell to watch. What did they intend to do? Let the giant do their fighting for them till he got tired? Would they then take over? Obviously he had to give the order to cut back some of the troops so he could have them fresh for the second onslaught.

"Your Majesty?" Rose said, appearing from behind a tree. She was panting as if she had run a long way. Over her shoulder were a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Rose, how did you know I was just thinking of giving an order?"

"I didn't. Sir, I was in the battle when an elf flew over to me with this packet of messages." She handed him a small leather envelope containing the notes from Cinderella and the Chancellor. "He said you're to read them at once."

"Thank you. No doubt they know we're already under attack."

"Yes."

Wendell read the notes, his young face suddenly looking older. "Cinderella's kingdom is also under attack. But her troops are not doing as well as ours. She wants to put together a battalion of wolves and asks if we could send a couple of wolf commanders with experience at maneuvering."

"I will go, if you like."

"No. I trust Carpathian implicitly but I find you easier to talk to. You, uh, don't mind staying, do you?"

Rose's face betrayed no emotion. "Whatever you need."

"Then, ask Carpathian to leave at once for the border of the First Kingdom and tell him to choose a second wolf to join him as an aide."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"You don't mind handling all the wolf troops by yourself, do you?"

"No, your Majesty. I'll name an aide to help me as well. You said something about wanting to give an order?"

"Oh, yes. These notes put it out of my head. I've been noticing the trolls, lolling about over there." He waved the letter packet in the direction of the troll border. "I fear they're planning on attacking after that big blond menace gets tired. Divide out some of the wolf troops for tonight's battle and tell Lieutenant Burke to do the same with his human archers."

"Yes, Sir. With your permission, I'd like to use most of the pureblooded wolves during the day and keep back the part-wolves for battle at night. The part-wolves can use swords and bow and arrow. And they can see and smell the trolls in the dark with greater ease than a human. But, to tell the truth, we're not so good at fighting the giant as the pureblooded wolves."

"As you say." Wendell said, slipping the notes and leather pouch into his pocket.

Rose looked at him one moment more and then said, "Am I dismissed?"

"Yes, thank you. I only just wonder how you found me. I've been wandering in and out of the trees and brush for hours, watching the battle from all angles."

Rose pursed her lips and almost looked guilty. "You have a very, uh, specific scent, your Majesty. I usually know where you are."

Wendell looked both surprised and confused at the same time. "Indeed. I'm not really sure how I should take that."

Rose stared down at the ground and shifted her booted feet. "It wasn't meant as an insult, Sir."

"Very well. You're dismissed." Wendell watched her go and thought to himself that maybe he'd been falling behind on his bathing. After all, war was no excuse for being sloppy.


	38. Chapter 38

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

**The Bounty War**

Night was drawing near at Emerald's cottage and the older woman had been nervously expectant all that day. That morning, she'd had Virginia help her put up a series of good strong pegs along the outside of the barn. Emerald did the hammering while Virginia held the ladder to keep it from slipping in the snow.

"They've got to be strong," Emerald said.

Virginia thought of asking what the pegs were for, but something told her not to. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable around her patroness. She talked to her only when necessary and avoided her whenever possible.

Just before dusk, when Virginia was busily making dinner, some men entered the yard. Their clothes were dirty and torn and mismatched somehow. Their faces were set in an emotionless expression that gave you the feeling they never smiled. As to their ages, they had none. It was as if they were lost in some endless place in time where they were never young and would certainly never grow old. One day, they would just cease to exist. They looked liked soulless ghosts, haunting themselves as well as the rest of the world. Virginia shivered when she was them.

Emerald, however, had the opposite reaction. She had been watching by the window and when she caught sight of them, she smiled eagerly and went out at once. Virginia stopped what she was doing and wiped her hands on her apron, but she didn't go outside. The men were just too unsavory looking. Instead she stayed by the window and counted them. Five men. That's how many bounty hunters there were supposed to be. Was this what being a bounty hunter did to you, she wondered? Or was this simply the kind of men who were drawn to the job?

Two of them carried burlap sacks slung heavily over their shoulders. The other three had bows and arrows and clubs. The men with the sacks dropped them on the ground and opened them. Then they threw the contents roughly into the snow at Emerald's feet. Virginia's mouth opened in horror when she saw the bodies of two young wolves. Their tongues were hanging out and one of them stared unseeing in her direction. But the worst was the sight of the snow beneath their bodies, quickly turning crimson with their blood.

Emerald examined the wolves closely and then pointed to the side of the barn in the direction of the pegs that she and Virginia had put up earlier in the day. While the men hung the wolves on the outside of the barn, Emerald fetched their reward.

The men checked the contents of the little sacks that Emerald handed them. Then they nodded, seemingly satisfied. Their business was now completed. Unceremoniously, without a good night or a good bye on either side, they parted. Emerald returned to the house and the men disappeared back into the forest.

"They didn't get him yet," Emerald said, as she hung up her cloak. "They got two small ones. But they'll catch him. It's only a matter of time."

Virginia didn't answer. She assumed Emerald was talking about Aesophocles, the wolf that had wedded her daughter.

"Child, where's your mind at?" Emerald scolded. "You're letting the porridge burn!"

"Sorry," Virginia said, quickly stirring the pot on the fire with a wooden spoon.

That's when the howling began. It sounded as if the wolves had surrounded the house. Their cries got louder and louder and louder still, till the sound of their loss seemed to echo in the very boards of the cottage itself.

Virginia put her hands to her ears.

Emerald's eyes narrowed and her face filled with fury. She picked up the broom in the corner and opened the door. "Go away!" she shouted, shaking the broom in the air. "Or tomorrow it'll be you hanging there."

Virginia looked hard through the window and saw several lupine figures in the growing darkness. They were still easy to see against the white snow. They continued howling but made no attempt to strike.

Emerald thrust her broom at one of them. "Shoo!" she commanded.

The wolf growled and bared its teeth. Virginia recognized him. It was Scythian.

"Shoo!" Emerald said again.

Scythian grabbed the bristle of the broom and pulled it easily out of Emerald's hands, causing her to cry out in surprise. He held down the broom with his front paws and proceeded to rip it apart with his teeth. It was a fervent demonstration of what he wanted to do to her.

Emerald understood. "You'll die!" she yelled, stepping back into the house. "You'll all die!" She slammed the door shut and leaned against it, breathing heavily.

The wolves continued howling.

Virginia watched as they circled the door. A big gray wolf suddenly leapt out of the forest. He was much larger than the others. He advanced into the circle of wolves and gestured with his head in the direction of the barn. Clearly, he was the leader. Virginia hadn't met him. But she assumed this was Aesophocles.

Two wolves stayed at the door and remained howling. The rest ran toward the barn. Suddenly, the goats started to make noise and run out into the yard.

"The barn!" Emerald said. She pushed Virginia aside from the window so she could get a better look at what was going on. But night was falling rapidly now and the moon hadn't risen yet. It was hard to see that distance. "I forgot to close the barn," she said. "Oh, no. They're killing the goats!"

Virginia listened. She thought the goats sounded more irritated than frightened. She could also make out a couple of them wandering calmly in the snow not far from the two wolves at the door. They were acting as if whatever was going on had nothing to do with them. In the distance, though, were other sounds.

"They're not killing the goats," Virginia said. "They're trashing the barn."

Emerald's lower lip pulled out over the upper one in an expression of intense rage as she listened to the crashing noises that came from the barn. "Let them," she said. "The door to my cheese room is locked and solid, with a buried fence to keep out digging vermin. They won't get in there. And tomorrow I'll give those men twice as much for every wolf carcass they bring me. Now, go! Serve dinner."

Virginia did as she was told.

Neither of them talked as they ate, nor for the rest of the night, for that matter. The howling of the wolves continued unbroken till sunrise. Virginia thought she would go mad from the noise. But Emerald didn't seem to hear it anymore. Her mind was on other things.


	39. Chapter 39

**THIRTY-NINE**

**The Fall of the Second Kingdom**

Overnight, the trolls began their assault.

Once again Wendell's kingdom did well at holding back the enemy. Rose and her part-wolf soldiers sniffed out the trolls, howled their locations, and led Lieutenant Burke's human soldiers in the fight.

Cinderella's troops did not have the advantage of the wolf soldier's keen sense of smell yet. They were still trying to pull their new furry recruits together. But the First Kingdom was a large and well-off one. They had many soldiers and they were all fresh and ready. General Orozco felt their sheer numbers would be enough to hold the trolls until their battle plans were in place.

As for the Second Kingdom, their troops were now in tatters. During the day's fighting, the generals had their men change into various shades of brown. By nightfall they were more properly dressed. But they were also very tired and unprepared for another twelve hours of battle. Still, they fought bravely on for their country.

In the morning the giants switched places with the trolls.

Hoban the blond giant was already getting irritated with the wolf and human troops of the Fourth Kingdom. He planned to complain to Bluebell after the day's fighting was over. After all, why did he have to fight all by himself. Why couldn't some of the troll troops keep the wolves at bay? Then he could get farther.

Marron the redheaded giant was pretty much of the same opinion by lunchtime. The new wolf troops of the First Kingdom were very eager to show what they could do. Some of them were jumping up and digging their teeth into whatever they could grab onto. Then they held on, not letting go till he specifically threw them off. And their howling just wouldn't let up. Between them and the endless number of human archers, he lost some of the ground he'd taken the day before.

Spider alone was advancing on his target, the castle of Red Riding Hood the Third.

Now that the Second Kingdom's army wasn't wearing red, they were harder to see through the trees and more of their arrows were finding their mark in the giant. But Spider was thick skinned. His hairy arms were covered with scars, a silent monument to all the battles he'd fought. Most of them had been inflicted by other giants with gigantic knives. So, the little arrows of the Second Kingdom were as nothing to him.

A little after noon, Spider stepped out of the woods. Burly and his men were close behind. They wanted to be on hand to take the castle and claim the kingdom. It wasn't long before Burly realized the importance of his decision. For suddenly out of the sky a small contingency of green clad elves appeared. Leaf Fall's husband Woodbine had gone into hiding in the waterfall again that morning and she had sent a few of her troops in defense of her friend Red's kingdom.

The elves surrounded Spider's head and fired a steady stream of arrows. These arrows hurt more than the ones shot by the humans because these had the sting of magic. But still, none of them was strong enough to kill. Spider swatted at the elves and managed to knock a couple of them out of the air. Burly's men took aim and sent a barrage of arrows at them from below. Three of the elves were struck. Several others were driven back.

Spider strided rapidly to the castle. There were no people on the road that afternoon. They'd all heard of his advance and had gone into hiding. Burly and his soldiers were right at his heels, shooting freely at the attacking elves.

As the enemy approached, the castle guard of the House of Red emerged. They were in shades of brown as the troops in the woods had been that morning. The Chancellor had persuaded the Queen overnight that it was a necessity. The guards shot arrows and launched catapults against the giant. At first they held him off. But then Burly's troops joined the fight and the going was harder. Spider caught a few of the rocks they catapulted at him and threw them back, causing major damage to both the guards and the castle. The elves were still in the fight, but their numbers had decreased and it was harder for them to fight now with so many arrows and rocks flying through the air.

Finally, the castle guard scattered and the elves fell further back. Spider stepped in and started ripping off pieces of the castle roof.

"The north side," Burly yelled up to his giant cohort. "She's probably on the north side."

"Oh," Spider said. With heavy feet he stomped to the back of the castle.

The north side had the best view of the river. Burly had guessed correctly that Queen Red Riding Hood the Third would choose the highest and most scenic spot for her royal rooms.

Spider pulled off two sections from the roof before he came to the one belonging to the Queen. "Fee Fi Fo Feem!" he shouted in true giant style. "I smell the blood of an elegant queen."

He reached inside the castle from the top and groped through Queen Red's closets with his hairy hands. Finally, the Queen's screams told him that he'd found his quarry. He pulled his hand out and held it up above the parts of the roof that were still intact. His fist held not only the Queen, but a confusing array of red gowns as well. Spider blew off the excess clothing like chaff from wheat till only the Queen herself remained.

Red Riding Hood the Third screamed and cried and commanded that he put her down. But of course he didn't. He caught her by her gown as she ran around on his hand and held her up in front of his face so he could get a better look at her. Even in the midst of having her castle raided, she was well turned out. She had on a dress of red moiré decorated with silver tassels. On her head had been a series of combs with more silver tassels. But they'd fallen out in the struggle with the giant. Her beautiful red hair was now in a state of confusion. And her matching moiré shoes had fallen onto the roof.

As the Queen screamed once again for the giant to put her down, a stick-like man came dashing out of the main castle doors. He threw himself at the giant and began fearlessly pummeling his large leather boots. "Stop!" the man shouted. "Let her go!" It was the Queen's private secretary Ichabod.

The giant looked down vaguely at the thin little man and decided to ignore him. Burly motioned for two of his men to take Ichabod prisoner.

"Time for lunch!" Spider said, his yellow eyes glowing. And he guided the dangling Queen in the direction of his open mouth.

Ichabod fainted.

Burly couldn't believe what he was seeing. "No! NO!" he yelled up.

But Spider wasn't paying any attention.

"NOOO!!" Burly screamed. Then he started hitting Spider's leg with his battle-ax.

"What?" Spider said, looking down.

"She's a valuable captive!" Burly bellowed. "She probably knows lots of secrets. First we torture her. Then we question her. And after that we kill her publicly in a real showy way. Like maybe with fire, so everyone can hear her scream for a really long time. Not only is it more fun that way, but her people will see it and know she's dead. There won't be any body to rally around and no myth that she's hiding somewhere. Her people will be totally mortified and at our mercy."

"No lunch?" Spider asked.

"You got a whole kingdom full of people here. Eat all of 'em if you like. Only not her."

"O.K." Spider said, his pockmarked face filled with disappointment.

"Now put her down and my men will take her to the dungeon."

Spider did as he was instructed, dropping Queen Red Riding Hood unceremoniously in a red moiré heap.

"Take her away!" Burly told his men. "And take the skinny one too. He can keep her company."

Two of the troll soldiers stepped forward and took hold of the disheveled Queen. "But how do you know they got a dungeon?" one of them asked.

"Oh!" Burly couldn't believe he was surrounded by such idiots. "Because it's a castle. All castle's have dungeons! Don't you know that? Just keep going downstairs till you find it. And, Spider." Burly pointed his battle-ax up at the giant. "Before you go eating the populace, could you put the roof back on the castle. This is my palace now and I don't want no rain damage."

Spider nodded his understanding and started reaching for pieces of roof.

"There. That's a good giant," Burly said. "Real nicey nice! Now." He pointed to all the soldiers on his right. "All of you, into the castle. And you." He pointed to the bulk of the soldiers on his left. "Secure the town!" He looked up into the sky for elves, but they had all gone.

Burly stood proudly on the steps of Red's castle. One hand was on his hip and the other held his battle-ax jauntily over one shoulder. He couldn't see himself at that moment, but he was sure he looked magnificent. He had taken over a kingdom. Something neither his brother nor his sister had been able to do so far. This win would give him an edge. After this, they wouldn't be equal to him. He would be the dominant one. He would be the one and only King of the Trolls. Today the Second Kingdom, tomorrow the Sixth. The crazy Naked Emperor's great-grandson, would be no match for him and his trolls. Perhaps with this win, they could get even more giants to join their cause.


	40. Chapter 40

**CHAPTER FORTY**

**The First Crime in the House of Red**

Emerald's barn was in shambles when she and Virginia got up the next morning. The goats and their hay were fine and the wolves had been unsuccessful at breaking into the root cellar and the cheese room. But everything else had been damaged. The bodies of the two young wolves were no longer hanging on the side of the barn either. Only a few drops of blood remained in the snow below where they had been, as a reminder of their presence the night before.

"They probably ate them," Emerald said.

Virginia said nothing, but she didn't believe that for a minute. They'd merely reclaimed their dead to give them the wolf equivalent of a decent burial.

As usual, Virginia did the milking. Then she left Emerald to begin preparing it for cheese. "I'm going to make some stew for supper," she said. But that was only an excuse. Instead she went into her room and closed the door.

"Ring?" Virginia said, looking down at her hand. "I can't take much more of this. When am I getting out of here?"

The ring picked up its little pearl head and sang,

"When Topaz comes this afternoon,

Then you'll know the end is soon.

When she leaves, you should too.

So all can see just what is true."

"This afternoon? Good. Because I'm ready to go right now."

As per the ring's words, Topaz came out of the woods in the late afternoon. Emerald was teaching Virginia how to sew at that time. The older woman was very handy with a spinning wheel and a needle. And what came easily to her, she figured should come easily to everyone else.

Topaz didn't knock. She just opened the door and stalked in. "How could you?" she demanded of her mother. "Gerardo and Elysha were barely more than cubs."

Emerald didn't look up. She merely took the sewing out of Virginia's hands and said. "Throw that animal out of my house, Virginia."

"Mama, if this is about me, about what I did, I promise you I'll go. I'll leave today. Without Aesophocles. You'll never hear from me again."

"You won't leave," Emerald said without looking up. "You're a wolf-lover and you can't bear to leave them. And whatever you do, I don't care anyway. You're dead as far as I'm concerned."

"No," Topaz said. "You're the one who's dead. You have no heart or soul anymore. Just hatred and ambition. I don't want any part of you either."

As Topaz turned to go, Virginia said, "Wait. I'm going with you."

Emerald's eyes flashed green fire, but Virginia didn't care. She grabbed her cloak and followed Topaz out the door.

"Ungrateful children!" Emerald yelled at their backs. "But you'll learn! You WILL learn!"

The two young women walked on unhearing, pausing only slightly at the crimson spot in the snow where the bodies of Gerardo and Elysha had been thrown out of the bags the night before. Virginia noticed the snow around the spots was unblemished white. Both the goats and the wolves had avoided coming too close.

"Thank you for trying," Topaz said. "But I see now it was impossible. She's too eaten up with hatred to see anything clearly."

"Maybe you should leave this area."

"We will. Aesophocles sent all but five of the wolves further into the forest. I think you and your family should leave as well."

"You don't have to ask me twice."

"Your father brought us many supplies. I think we should split them. I can't carry everything and I don't know if I'll have the luxury of a hut where we're going."

"Maybe we'll take a few things, but we should probably travel light too. I have no idea where we'll be going next." Or when, Virginia added to herself. She was trying to think of something encouraging to say to Topaz, when two male voices started shouting up ahead.

"Hey wolf, hey wolf!" one strong bass voice called.

"Yo, yo, yo!" a younger male voice called.

Both men were beating the shrubs and trees as they moved and making a lot of noise.

"There he is!" the first one yelled. "He's coming toward you."

"The bounty hunters," Topaz said. "I've got to stop them."

"No!" Virginia said. She tried to hold Topaz back, but succeeded only in separating her friend from her rust colored shawl.

"Stop!" Topaz screamed as she ran into the brush in the direction of the men's voices. "Stop!"

Virginia tried to follow but she slipped in the snow. Her delicate shoes simply were not made for running in the wet stuff. By the time she recovered, Topaz was well ahead.

The bounty hunters had already managed to shoot down one medium sized she-wolf and were in the act of trying to flush out Scythian from some underbrush. Topaz ran into the clearing just as the three men with the bows and arrows raised them. They seemed intent on ignoring her and her shouts. The two men with the clubs continued beating the bushes till Scythian felt he had only two choices. He could die a slow death by clubbing or risk a quicker one by arrows while running. He chose the later. He tore out of the bushes and headed for a thicket on the other side of the clearing, never looking back. Topaz threw herself in-between the men and Scythian just as the arrows took off. They found a target, but not the one originally intended. The delicate girl with the red hair came down not far from the body of the dead she-wolf.

"Aw!" one of the bounty hunters said with disappointment. "He got away. I was hoping to get at least two today."

"I was hoping for three," another man said, putting away his arrows.

"Yeah, well, one is better than none," a third said. "Where did they all go today?"

None of the men seemed concerned that they'd just hit a woman with their stray arrows. In fact, they didn't even look at her. They packed up their supplies and bagged the she-wolf. Then they started off out of the forest in the direction of Emerald's.

Virginia, of course, had the good sense to stay hidden in the brush. She knew if they had so little regard for killing Topaz, they'd feel no guilt in killing her either. In fact, since she was a witness, they might make a point of it. So, she stood very still, barely breathing in a dark green juniper at a comfortable distance from them.

"It's too bad we can't count the girl as a wolf," one man said.

"Yeah! Not officially, anyway," another said.

And the men laughed.

Virginia waited till their laughing receded further down the path, then she ran to her fallen friend. "Topaz!" she said, scooping her up into her arms. She was still breathing. "I should get help."

"No," Topaz moaned. "I don't want to die alone. Please."

"I won't go," Virginia said crying. "I'll stay right here."

"I did the best I could," Topaz said in a strained voice.

"I know." Virginia rocked her back and forth, like a child in her arms, brushing her beautiful red hair back from her face. Topaz's freckles stood out starkly against her porcelain white skin. She closed her green eyes and rested her face against Virginia's wool cloak.

Virginia didn't know why. But she started singing the lullaby that her ring had been singing to her so much lately.

"A fairy queen does watch you sleep," she sang in a quivery voice.

"And will tonight your safety keep.

Have no more worries for today,

But let them all just fade away.

"Dream of flowers and of fun,

And of days played in the sun.

Dream of love and family,

And of rainbows you will see.

"Dream of stars and magic too.

All these things will come to you.

A fairy queen does watch you sleep,

And will tonight your safety keep."

When Topaz's breathing stopped. Virginia knew what she had to do. She didn't have to ask the ring this time. Gently, she lowered her friend's body to the ground and left her head resting on her rust colored shawl. Determinedly, she walked back in the direction of Emerald's cottage.

Emerald was outside the barn, trying to shoo the goats in. But they weren't having any of it. The fresh smell of blood coming from yet another wolf hanging outside the barn for the second day in a row was very upsetting to them. They were pretty much figuring they were next.

"They killed her!" Virginia screamed out as she advanced on the older woman. "They left her to die in the forest."

Emerald glanced up briefly and straightened her apron under her cloak. "You're a mess, Child. Go put on a clean dress."

"This is her blood!" Virginia said, waving her dress in Emerald's face. "She died in my arms. This is Topaz's blood. They killed your daughter."

Still Emerald was unperturbed. "It was going to happen sooner or later," she said. "I warned her. But she wouldn't listen. Sooner or later she was going to get in the way. And sooner or later they would have to do what they did."

Virginia was stunned. "You knew. You planned it, didn't you? 'Not officially' they said. They said they couldn't count the girl officially. Did you pay those men to kill your daughter?"

"Not officially. I just told them that if she got in the way, they shouldn't worry about it. She was dead already."

"And you paid them?" Virginia demanded.

"Only an extra pound of coffee."

"That's all she was worth to you?" Virginia started backing up.

"She was dead already. In a few years, no one will even remember that I had another daughter. And Opal won't say anything. She knows better than that. The whole world is opening up for us here. And I'm going to give it to my granddaughter."

Virginia turned and ran for the woods, never looking back. But before she could reach the tree line, she heard her name being called.

"Virginia? Virginia!" It was Wolf.

"Where are you?" Her Dad called in tandem.

"Virginia?"

"I'm here!" she called.

Wolf bounded out into the yard with Tony close behind.

"Why did you come back?" Wolf asked. He looked toward the barn and saw Emerald shooing goats in the yard as though nothing was happening. He wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her off into the forest. "I was so worried when I scented you in this direction."

"Scythian told his father what happened and then came to get us," Tony said.

"I had to confront Emerald," Virginia said. "She knew about it. She even paid the bounty hunters extra for doing it."

"We've got to get you out of here," Wolf insisted. "This place is evil."

"I think it's about time to leave myself," Tony agreed. "That Emerald is a piece of work. Did you see her? Her daughter just dead and she's acting like it's another ordinary day with the goats."

Suddenly the darkening woods was pierced by the long brokenhearted howl of a wolf.

"It's Aesophocles," Wolf said. "He's found Topaz."

They stopped and listened to the mournful cry as it echoed through the trees, the cold of the forest floor rising up to embrace it.

"I don't think it's time to go yet," Virginia said. "Not quite anyway. We can't leave without paying our respects to Aesophocles."

"He won't even know we're there," Tony said. "At least Wolf didn't notice any of us when he was mourning for you."

"He'll hear us," Wolf said. "Even if he doesn't act like it."

Slowly they made their way in the direction of the grieving wolf, picking their way solemnly through snow and underbrush. When they reached the clearing near the path, they found Aesophocles howling over his wife's body. Scythian and two other wolves were close by. Aesophocles quieted as they approached and curled himself around Topaz's body as if he were trying to keep her warm.

"We came to pay our respects," Tony said.

"Emerald did this," Virginia said. "She paid the bounty hunters extra and told them not to worry if she accidentally got in the way."

"I know," Scythian said. "If they'd really tried they could have avoided hitting her and gotten me. I think they enjoyed killing her. I think they just enjoy killing."

"She was a wonderful friend," Virginia said, tears coming to her eyes again. "And she tried so hard."

"It wasn't meant to be," Scythian said. "Wolves and humans are not meant to be mated."

Aesophocles started whimpering. He buried his snout in Topaz's cold red hair and rubbed his head against hers.

Wolf pulled Virginia closer. He didn't care what Scythian said. As far as he was concerned, he and Virginia were meant to be mated. And he had no intentions of letting his wife go away from him again. No matter what Snow White or the ring said.

"I will be taking the role of Alpha male now," Scythian said. "We will stay away from the humans as much as we can. But if crossed, we will fight. And there will be no more matings between humans and wolves. I will forbid it. And we will forget about Topaz. She never existed."

"Seems like everyone wanted to forget about her," Virginia said.

"They'll remember now," Tony said.

"Yeah," Wolf said. "That's why we're here." He rubbed his face against Virginia's hair and treasured the feeling of her warmth on his cheek.

"You can tell whoever you like," Scythian said. "Here she will be forgotten."

Aesophocles looked up at the half moon and howled long and loud.

"She won't be forgotten by everyone, I think," Tony said.

From behind them, they heard the sound of a squeaky wheel approaching.

"Someone's coming," Wolf said. His eyes were able to make out the figure of a plump girl of about fifteen in the dappled moonlight and blue shaded snow. She was pulling a wheelbarrow behind her with a heavy object in it covered by a cloth. "It's a girl."

Virginia peered around him and recognized the round figure as it stepped into the clearing. "Isabella." She had been at Emerald's meeting earlier in the week. She was the one who'd lost her wooden charm to baby Red Riding Hood. "Isabella, what are you doing here?"

Isabella turned her dark eyes on the small gathering, coming at last to rest on the figure of Topaz lying in the moonlit snow. "Emerald did this, didn't she?" Isabella asked without emotion. There was no surprise, no grief. It was just a statement of fact.

"Yes," Virginia said. "Anyway, she arranged it."

Isabella nodded her dark head.

"Why are you here in the forest by yourself?" Virginia asked.

"I got fired. I was an assistant cook on one of the larger farms. They told me to pack up my things and get out. They didn't care what time it was."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Isabella said. "They were talking up Emerald's little princess and I told them all she was a brat."

"Pearl, you mean?"

Isabella dark eyes hardened into slits above her pink cheeks. "Anything she wants, Emerald gives her. Even the wooden charm my father carved for me before he died. She knew how important it was to me. But she didn't care. What does she care about an orphan like me? Or anyone else for that matter? Pearl is all she cares about. The little brat." There was real venom in her voice. "I wish she were the one lying dead in the snow."

"You don't mean that," Virginia said.

"Oh, yes I do. Everyone's afraid to talk against her. Well, not me. Not anymore. I don't care if it cost me my job and my home."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going east and maybe south. Somewhere where the weather's not so severe. I'll start again. At least I still have my mother's mirror." She tucked in the cloth around the bottom of the mirror with all the tenderness of a mother with a sleeping child. "If I were you, I'd take revenge against Emerald."

"I'll send one of my wolves to see you out of the forest," Scythian said.

"Why?" Isabella asked.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

The young wolf and the girl gazed at each other for a moment, a strange look of understanding passing between them. Isabella nodded her acceptance and headed off with her new wolf companion, one of her cart's wheels still squeaking.

"I will take my revenge," Aesophocles said, sitting up on his haunches. "I'll take from Emerald what she took from me. She took the one I loved and the child she was supposed to have. So, in revenge, I'll take the child that she treasures."

"A fine goal, Father," Scythian said. "But Pearl is well guarded most of the time."

"Then I will wait," Aesophocles said. "One day, she will be careless. And I will take my revenge." He began howling again, one long mournful howl after the other.

Virginia's ring shivered on her hand. She assumed it was trying to sing but couldn't be heard over Aesophocles's wailing. So she raised it close to her ear.

"And now it's time for you to go," the ring sang.

"You've shown them all they need to know."

"It's time to go," Virginia said.

Wolf nodded his agreement.

"You can take anything you want from the hut," Scythian said. "We won't be going back there again."

"Thank you," Virginia said. "We'll stop on the way."

"Can't we just leave now?" Tony asked.

"We don't know where we're going. So, we should bring some provisions. We can leave from the hut."

Virginia and Wolf led the way, their arms securely locked around each other.

Tony followed behind feeling a little left out. Without knowing quite why, he picked up the mirror talisman and looked into its tiny depths. "Matilde," he said. "If you can hear me. Why don't you ask Snow White if she can improve our accommodations in the next place she sends us to."


	41. Chapter 41

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

**The Council of Truth's First Ruling**

After the Second Kingdom fell and the elves returned to report to their Queen, preparations for the next part of the battle began. King Wendell was notified that more of his border was in danger. King Cole sent word to his Chancellor that several battalions of troops should be sent to aid the Fourth Kingdom and placed under Wendell's command. Matilde notified the giant Demetrius that he would be needed there as well. The Ice Maidens were dispatched to the Sixth Kingdom. And a good sized group of fairies were amassed between the Eighth and Second Kingdoms. A panic was quickly spreading. With the fall of Red Riding Hood's Kingdom, there was fear that everyone would soon be involved in the war.

The trolls, for their part, had decided to forego fighting for the night. The fall of the Second Kingdom was a cause for celebrating as far they were concerned. There was raucous partying all through what was now being called the Old Troll Kingdom. And major looting going on in what was now being referred to as the New Troll Kingdom.

Matilde, as president of the Council of the Nine Kingdoms, had many duties to perform and things to oversee. It was very late by the time she was able to join the members of the Council of Truth in the mirror room. The others had been waiting for her because they had seen the final happenings of the day and felt it was their duty to make some kind of ruling concerning everything they had seen. But they had to wait until Matilde had witnessed it all too.

As Matilde began to watch, the others walked about the room or left to take care of other quick business. Cinderella slept in her chair next to Matilde's and snored gently. Actually, Matilde found the sound comforting. For the scenes before her were hardly of a pleasant nature.

The death of Topaz was not unexpected for Matilde. She could see it coming. The poor child was lost between two warring factions. And once gone, she was an embarrassment to both. Matilde shook her head as she watched. Those who ignored the lessons of history were doomed to repeat them. Wasn't that how the saying went?

She was just at the part where the girl Isabella had wandered onto the scene on her way east, when something about the girl's voice nagged at her memory. "Mirror," she said. "Play that part again, the part where the girl Isabella says she wishes it was Pearl dead in the snow."

As per the request, the mirror stopped the story and replayed it.

"Anything she wants, Emerald gives her," the voice of the girl Isabella began again. "Even the wooden charm my father carved for me before he died. She knew how important it was to me. But she didn't care. What does she care about an orphan like me? Or anyone else for that matter? Pearl is all she cares about. The little brat. I wish she were the one lying dead in the snow."

"You don't mean that," Virginia said.

"Oh, yes I do."

"Mirror, stop again," Matilde commanded. She sprang to her feet and started tapping Cinderella gently with her cane. "Cindy, Dear, wake up," she said.

"What is it?" Cinderella said. "Are we making a decision now?"

"In a minute, Dear. Do you remember this girl from before?"

Cinderella squinted. "Wasn't she the girl at the meeting the other night?"

"That's right."

"I saw this part in the woods already. She has a wheelbarrow with a mirror and she suggests to Aesophocles that he should revenge himself against Emerald."

"I haven't heard that part quite yet. But of course everybody knows how he attacked Red Riding Hood several years later. That must be what he planned to do. It's the girl here I want you to center on. Does she look familiar to you?"

Cinderella leaned forward and squinted again. "No," she said. "I'm sure I've never seen her before."

"What are you driving at?" Eranthis asked. He had been pacing back and forth behind the chairs. The other two members of their group were out of the room at that moment.

"You wouldn't remember her, Eranthis, Dear," Matilde said. "You're entirely too young. And actually," Matilde turned and pointed to the girl with the dark hair frozen in the mirror's image, "so is she. The first time I saw her I didn't recognize her because she didn't speak. But that voice. It's unmistakable."

Cinderella shrugged her shoulders and exchanged glances with the Dwarf King.

"Cindy, Dear," Matilde said, "I want you to close your eyes. Come on now. Close them up. Just listen. Imagine this voice a little older. Mirror, play that part again."

Immediately, the mirror did as it was told.

"Anything she wants, Emerald gives her," the girl Isabella repeated once more. "Even the wooden charm my father carved for me before he died. She knew how important it was to me. But she didn't care. What does she care about an orphan like me? Or anyone else for that matter? Pearl is all she cares about. The little brat. I wish she were the one lying dead in the snow."

"You don't mean that," Virginia said.

"Oh, yes I do."

"That's enough, mirror," Matilde said.

"Oh, my!" Cinderella said, pushing herself slowly to her feet. "It can't be."

"You hear it now, don't you. How old do you think that girl is, fifteen? Look at her dark hair, dark eyes, and rosy cheeks. Imagine her in five years at the age of twenty when she's slimmed down and rounded up. And match the name to the voice." Matilde said the girl's name again with all the drama she could muster. "I s a b e l l a."

"It's Snow White's stepmother," Cinderella said.

"No!" Eranthis said. He walked up to the mirror to get a better look. He got so close, his breath started steaming up the frozen image of Virginia's face.

"Go get the others and tell them what we've found," Matilde said to Eranthis.

"I'm going," he answered, moving out of the room as fast as his little dwarf legs could carry him.

Matilde walked pointedly toward the mirror and tapped her white cane impatiently on the highly polished wooden floor. "Snow! Snow, I know you can hear me. I want to speak to you."

"Right now?" the voice of Snow White asked, as the recorded figures in the mirror began to swirl into clouds of gray.

"Yes, Dear, right now."

"Of course." Snow White appeared out of the gray mist, a half smile on her face.

Leaf Fall and Old King Cole ran into the room with Eranthis in the lead. However, they came to a stop when they saw who Matilde was speaking with in the mirror.

"Were you going to tell us about Isabella's little cameo appearance, Snow Dear?" Matilde asked. "Or were you counting on us to figure it out?"

"I had a feeling that at least you would figure it out, Matilde. Even though I was pretty certain you wouldn't recognize her by sight at this age. But she used that same tone of voice when she referred to me as a little brat several years later. She even used those exact words, I believe, just before she was forced to dance at my wedding."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Matilde asked again.

"Because she's not important to this story. The only thing you need to see is that she and Scythian knew each other before she came to power. And before he became obsessed with revenge himself. In this one short week you have witnessed the passions that went into the making of the Second Kingdom. You have seen the first crime committed within the House of Red. It was the murder of Topaz, an innocent person, who was killed with the full agreement of her mother and the ultimate eradication of her name from history. You already know about the second crime. Aesophocles will attempt to revenge himself on Emerald by destroying her beloved granddaughter. Red Riding Hood was a headstrong girl, but she was entirely innocent of her unknown aunt's death. It was wrong for Aesophocles to try and kill her. You have now to learn of the third crime and the fourth that was planned but foiled."

"But what tie does Scythian have to your stepmother?" Matilde asked.

"You will hear. But it's not that important anymore because that plan has been foiled. I will let Josiah tell you the story when the time comes. I have already sent our questers on to their second stop in the past. You can begin watching them tomorrow. Or even tonight if you like."

"But who is Josiah?"

"Josiah is Wolf's father," Snow White said, as her form began to fade from the mirror. In a minute the surface was dark again, as the mirror's attention became once more centered on the past.

"So, then," Leaf Fall said. "What ruling shall the Council of Truth make on this evidence we have seen?"

"We will rule," Eranthis said, "that the feud that began within the House of Red had very few heroes, except for one forgotten woman. That Emerald's complicity in the murder of her daughter was a crime committed because of her personal hatreds and ambitions for her granddaughter. That Aesophocles's actions against Red Riding Hood were based on personal revenge and not the innate evil of his kind. That, as seen in these proceedings, no side was without guilt, except in the case of the innocent victims. And that the persecution of the entire wolf population by the entire human one was entirely without warrant."

"Are we all in agreement?" Matilde asked.

The other four nodded.

"So be it. I will announce our findings to the other kingdoms in the morning, as well as to the rest of the Council. Cole, if I were you, I would endorse Wendell's proclamation making Wolf a hero at once. It will make it easier for your army to fight alongside of Wendell's wolves. And Leaf, I think you should do the same as well. I know you held back before in deference to your friend Red Riding Hood the Third."

Leaf Fall nodded.

Old King Cole said, "I will do it. But I can't simply proclaim away hundreds of years of prejudice."

"No," Matilde. "But it's a beginning. And it may be the only way to put the Second Kingdom back together once this war is done."


	42. Chapter 42

**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

**Josiah and Scarlet**

"Well," Tony said. He and Wolf and Virginia were standing in what had been Topaz's hut. They had packed up a few things and were ready to move on to their next unknown stop in the past. Tony took some of the magic traveling dust from the blue leather bag around his neck. He didn't know if there were any requirements as to how much he should use. So he took a generous amount, just to be sure. Somehow the bag still looked full. "Here goes," he said, sprinkling the dust over the three of them.

They watched as the dust hovered for a second. Then all of a sudden, they found themselves lying on the ground somewhere outdoors.

"I wish these landings were softer," Tony said, rubbing his back.

"Me too," Wolf said, rushing to help up his wife. "For Virginia's sake."

"It's still night," Tony observed.

"Yeah, but it's a lot warmer," Virginia said. "Like late spring."

"And the moon's a lot fuller," Wolf said, looking toward the sky with concern.

The moon was indeed fuller than it had been in the last place they'd been. Its bright light flooded the open path they were on. But it still wasn't at its fullest point yet.

"You've got a couple more days," Virginia said, wrapping her arm through Wolf's. "And you're doing better now."

"Maybe," Wolf said, tugging at his collar. "But I can't help but worry."

"At least it's bright enough to see," Tony said. He picked up the pack he'd been carrying when they'd come in for a landing. The others did the same. Tony had their food provisions. Virginia carried a couple of blankets. Wolf had what was left of their beaver pelts.

"We're on a road of some kind," Virginia said.

Woods surrounded them again. But these were more open than the ones they'd just left in Emerald's time.

"So, which way?" Tony asked.

"You smell something interesting?" Virginia asked Wolf. She had noticed him sniffing the air with great interest.

Wolf didn't answer. Instead, he closed his eyes so he could concentrate better. What he smelled was tugging at his mind. Memories long forgotten were creeping back. He worked hard to sort out one scent from another, one memory from another. It had all been so long ago.

"I think I smell a fire," Tony offered.

"And much more," Wolf said, opening his eyes. "But it can't be."

"What can't be?" Virginia asked.

Again Wolf didn't answer. He just started off down the road, as though under some kind of magic spell.

"Wolf?" Virginia said.

"We'd better follow him," Tony said.

Just past a bend in the road they saw a house. It was better built than Topaz's hut, but not much bigger. They could smell a fire going in the fireplace. And in the dappled moonlight they could see a little enclosed lean-to built right against the house. All around and above the house were towering white pines. It seemed there were lights on inside. But heavy curtains were drawn across the windows, so only a slight glow shown through.

Wolf walked right up to the door. But he didn't knock. He just stood there and sniffed with his eyes closed again.

"You know this place?" Virginia asked.

Wolf opened his eyes and nodded. But he didn't seem to be able to speak.

"Well, let's knock," Tony said. And he tapped on the door three times.

There was the sound of rushing feet inside and then a pause. A woman's voice spoke. "Who's there?" she asked.

"We're, uh, travelers," Tony said. "We seem to be lost and we wonder if you know a place where we might spend the night?"

"Travelers?" the woman said.

"Yes. We're sorry to bother you at so late an hour. But I'm traveling with my daughter and son-in-law. You see my daughter is expecting a baby and I'd like to find a place where she can spend the night in some comfort."

"Your daughter?" the woman asked. The door was unbarred at once by a woman just slightly older than Virginia. She had her red hair done up in a bun and she wore a simple patchwork dress. "You shouldn't be out at night," the woman said. "Come right in." She took Virginia's arm and led her inside. "Forgive me for leaving you out there so long. I was afraid you were the night guard. You understand."

The room they were ushered into was well lit but small. A tiny round table with four chairs and a spinning wheel were its dominant furnishings. Against one wall were two doors, which presumably led to two other rooms.

"We're sorry to disturb you," Virginia said.

"Not at all," the woman said. She turned to Tony who was the last to come in. "Please shut the door and bar it. The extra light might attract the night guard."

Tony did as he was told. But he couldn't help asking, "The night guard? What's the, uh, night guard?"

This question stopped the woman in her tracks. "You don't know what the night guard is?" She looked at the three of them in disbelief.

"I do," Wolf said, looking nervous. He hadn't heard anyone mention the night guard for a long time. But he knew who they were. And that also told him when and where they were. "They're both from the Fourth Kingdom, so they don't know."

"They don't have a night guard there?"

"No," Wolf said.

"Well that explains it," the woman said. "But the Fourth Kingdom is a long way away from here. How could you travel all that way and not run into them once?"

"We were lucky," Wolf said.

"You certainly were. Usually things are better here. This is an out of the way corner of the kingdom. We have loggers and maple sugar men mostly. Not too many farmers. Unfortunately, the Queen is making her yearly inspection tour. And she's supposed to be here later in the week. So the guard is getting a little more strict. I'm surprised you weren't stopped. But of course you're humans and the guard would merely have checked your papers and sent you on your way."

Wolf looked nervous again.

One of the doors at the side of the room opened and a gray wolf stepped out. He wasn't much bigger than Scythian had been. In fact, he bore a striking resemblance to that other wolf, except that his whole demeanor was different.

"Not all of you are human," the wolf said, looking curiously at Wolf. He wasn't making an accusation. He was just stating a point of fact. "You're at least half-wolf. And you smell like a relative."

"I, uh, might be," Wolf said, his eyes darting around.

"Where are you from?"

"The Second Kingdom originally," Wolf answered. "My, uh, parents are dead."

"Oh." The wolf nodded his head sympathetically. "Where are you headed?"

"We were, uh, displaced by the Magic War," Wolf said. "We were on the borderline near the Eighth Kingdom and it got pretty bad there. So we're traveling, trying to find a new place to settle down."

"Ah," the wolf said. "I'm glad that war is over and that Queen Matilde has retaken the Eighth Kingdom. I'm also glad that she's been named president of the new Council of the Nine Kingdoms."

"Maybe we'll get fairer treatment now," the woman said.

"Forgive me," the wolf said. "We haven't introduced ourselves. I am Josiah and this is my mate Scarlet."

"Please, sit down," Scarlet said, pulling out the chairs from the table. "We haven't much to offer. But I could make you some herbal tea."

"That would be nice," Virginia said. "We have some provisions with us, which we'd be very glad to share with you." She motioned to her father, who handed over the sack with their food.

"Oh, we couldn't take your food," Scarlet said. "It's very scarce around here. And since you're expecting, you'll be needing as much as you can get."

"No, please. We have plenty." Virginia started unloading food onto the little table. "My name is Virginia. And this is my husband Wolf, and my father, Tony."

"Wolf?" Josiah said, gazing at Wolf intently.

"My foster parents called me that. They were both pure-blooded wolves and they wanted me to remember who I was."

"Wolf," Josiah said again. "That's a dangerous thing to call a child in the Second Kingdom."

Scarlet started setting out an array of chipped mugs before her guests. "Red Riding Hood the First would have been Queen when Wolf was a boy," she said. "Things were better under her."

"Only to a point," Josiah said. "Matings between wolves and humans were still forbidden. But at least the wolves didn't have to carry permits."

"Permits?" Tony said.

Scarlet looked up horrified. "Don't tell me you don't have a permit."

Wolf looked nervous again. "No," he said.

"Oh, this isn't good," Scarlet said. "You'll need one at once. Wolves need permits to go anywhere and do anything. And Virginia and Tony, you'll need papers to certify that you're human. That's because there are more part-wolves being born now."

"Night time is especially dangerous," Josiah said. "If they find a wolf out at night without a permit, they'll arrest him. But, of course, if we don't travel in large groups, it's hard for them to find us in the woods. We can usually smell them before they show up. I hunt at night all the time."

"Yes, and I wish you wouldn't," Scarlet said, pouring hot water into the cups of her guests.

There was no sugar or milk on the table so no one asked for any. It was obviously a very poor household.

"A wolf's got to hunt," Josiah said. "Ask Wolf here."

"Hmm," was all Scarlet would say. She knew what Josiah needed. But she didn't have to be happy about it. She put a knife and a few tired looking plates on the table.

Virginia sliced up some of Topaz's homemade bread first. Then she cut off slabs from the dried venison that Tony had bought in the General Store of Emerald's town. She was too engrossed to notice that the second door leading off the main room had just opened a crack.

Wolf, however, sniffed the air and turned at once, his jaw almost dropping on the table.

"Mama?" a little voice called.

"Are you two still awake?" Scarlet asked.

"We smelled food."

"Hmm." Scarlet put her hands on her hips and a fake scowl on her face. "Hungry as usual. Is your sister up too?"

"Yes, Mama," a little girl answered.

"Well, come and meet our guests before you wake up the babies."

Two young children came into the room, a boy first and then a little girl. Scarlet put her arm around the boy and the girl wrapped herself in her mother's skirts. The boy looked to be about seven. He had dark hair, round eyes, and a slightly smudged face. His sister was about two years younger. She had her mother's red hair and freckles.

"We have four children," Scarlet explained. "These are our oldest."

"Hi!" Virginia said, her eyes lighting up. "Do you want to join us?"

The boy nodded and the girl just kept clinging to her mother.

"Why don't you take this?" Virginia said, holding out sizeable chunks of bread and meat to the boy.

The boy hesitated.

"Go ahead," Scarlet said. "It's all right."

Immediately, the boy came to Virginia's side and took the food.

"What do you say?" Josiah asked.

"Thank you," the boy said.

"And how about you," Virginia said to the little girl.

The girl didn't make a move or say a word. She just stared at Virginia from the safe proximity of her mother's skirts.

"It's all right, Rose," Scarlet said, smoothing back her daughter's red hair. Then to her guests she said, "She's just a little shy. She's at that age, you know."

"Then I'll let you give it to her," Virginia said, handing Scarlet some meat and bread.

Scarlet handed her daughter the food and the girl ate it slowly. The boy had already finished and was hanging on the back of Virginia's chair, staring at her pointedly.

With the children taken care of, everyone else ate. That is, except Wolf. He touched nothing. He just sat and watched, the crease between his eyebrows deepening by the second.

"I can get some papers made up made up for you," Scarlet said. "I know some people in the town who'd be willing to do it. You shouldn't continue on your journey without them."

"Could you do that?" Virginia asked.

"Things are getting tighter and more difficult now," Scarlet said. "But I think I can."

"Red Riding Hood the Second makes things tougher every year," Josiah said.

"It's hard to make a living," Scarlet said. "Josiah hunts for small game. And I spin and sew for other people. Actually, I even have a talent for carpentry. I built the lean-to on the side of the house. Rose helps me with the babies. And her older brother is in school. In the fall, I'll be sending her too."

Virginia turned to look at the little boy and found him smiling at her, his face close to hers. His eyes changed slightly from hazel to green as he gazed at her, with just the hint of a crease forming between his eyebrows as they moved shyly up his forehead. Virginia couldn't help but smile back. He looked vaguely familiar.

"I think he likes you," Rose said.

All the adults except Wolf laughed, he was too busy squirming in his seat.

"Rose always tells the truth," Scarlet said. "Even when you don't want to hear it."

"I think he's cute," Virginia said, turning away from the boy and smiling at everyone around the table. Everyone smiled back, except for Wolf. He had this strange, sheepish grin on his face. His eyes appeared to change from green to hazel, the way they did sometimes. And the crease between his eyebrows deepened further, as if he was in some kind of pain. Virginia thought it was strange. But she was in no position to ask him what was wrong. She turned back to the boy. He patted her face fondly. And she noticed that his eyes were even greener and the crease between his eyebrows had deepened. It was then that she saw it. She turned back to look at Wolf and her mouth dropped open. Wolf gave her another sheepish grin.

Tony noticed this interaction but he had no idea what it meant.

"Seeing as you've stolen my son Warren's heart," Josiah said, "I think you should stay here until your papers are ready."

There was a slight pause and then Tony said, "That would be very nice of you." He didn't know what was bothering Virginia and Wolf but he wished they'd snap out of it. "Isn't it nice of them, Virginia?"

"Oh yes, very," Virginia said, recovering. She smiled vaguely at the boy and moved away slightly. This was just too weird for her.

"If you like, you can sleep in here by the fire," Scarlet said. "And there's the lean-to outside also. We keep it piled with wood in the winter. But it's almost empty now that we're into the warmer weather."

"Thank you very much," Tony said.

"Yes, thank you," Virginia chirped up.

Wolf just kept on smiling sheepishly.

Virginia helped Scarlet take care of the dishes and the leftovers, while Josiah put his son and daughter back to bed. Tony arranged their blankets in front of the fire and Wolf sat nearby acting as though he were in a trance.

After Scarlet and Josiah said good night and closed their door, Tony whispered, "All right you two, what's going on?"

"Those are my parents," Wolf said. "My real ones."

"Your what?" Tony said.

"My parents."

"The little boy is Wolf," Virginia said.

"And the little girl is my sister Rose."

Tony's face fell in shock.

"It's true, Dad. Somehow I recognized Wolf in that little boy."

"So, what are we doing here?" Tony asked.

"I have no idea," Wolf said, shaking his head. "Unless."

"Unless what?"

"I don't know exactly when it happened. I mean, I wasn't very aware of dates and times at this age. But I was seven when my parents were burned for poaching some lambs off a farm near here."

"And you think we're here to witness that?" Tony asked.

"Why?" Virginia said.

"I don't know. I don't even know that our being here has anything to do with them."

"Well," Virginia said, "I wouldn't blame your parents if they did poach a few lambs. They don't have much. Both you and Rose look very thin."

Wolf shook his head. "My foster parents said the charges were trumped up by humans who hated wolves. And Rose's foster parents thought they were innocent too." Wolf started shaking. "Oh, cripes! I hope I don't have to go through it all again."

"Shhh!" Virginia said, putting her arms around him. "We really don't know why we're here yet. We'll just have to take it one day at a time and see."

"Yeah," Tony said. He squatted down in front of the fireplace and threw another log on the fire. "Might as well get some sleep. Maybe everything will be clearer in the morning."

Wolf whined softly. His eyes were full of pain as he looked toward the bedrooms of his long lost family.

Virginia had no idea how to comfort him. She ran her hand through his hair and kissed his stubbly cheek. Then she went and crouched down next to her father.

"You know," she whispered, "Wolf's really upset about this."

"I know," Tony said. "I don't blame him."

"It might be better, if you left us alone tonight," she said. "You know, so we could talk things out."

Tony's mouth dropped open. "You want me to sleep in the lean-to?"

"Just for tonight."

Tony's eyes narrowed. He wasn't happy. Not at all. But Virginia was a married woman now. She had a right to ask for privacy. Still it irritated him no end. He felt unwanted and worse than that, superfluous. "Fine," he said, the hurt and anger showing in his voice. "I'll go sleep in the lean-to. You two can have your privacy. But I get the heaviest blanket because it's cold out there." He grabbed a blanket and headed out the door. He would have slammed it, but it would have awakened the rest of the house.

"Now that she's married, I'm not needed anymore," he mumbled to himself. "I'm just a useless old man."

He trudged on heavy feet to the side of the house. The lean-to had a door built in and windows all around. It was really quite cozy. Tony made a bed for himself by putting the blanket over the wood chips on the floor. The pile of logs was his headboard. It was warm enough so that he didn't need to wrap the blanket around himself. Still, he complained on.

"They leave me out in the cold like an old piece of garbage," he continued muttering. "We're in a strange place and a strange time. And here I am completely abandoned by my daughter."

In the last spot in history they'd been in, Tony had had a clearer job to do acting as the go-between for Virginia and Wolf. And he'd enjoyed playing provider for Topaz and her mate by fetching supplies from the General Store. But here, he was afraid he was going to be completely pointlessly alone. Snow White had said he was supposed to be the clearer head. At the moment, all he felt was unwanted.

He picked up his mirror talisman and gazed into it. As usual, there was a little tiny sparkle evident in its depths. "Matilde, can you hear me?" Somehow he had a feeling she was keeping track of them. Before they'd left, she'd made it clear that she intended to manage the project personally on her side of the mirror. "I thought you were going to ask Snow White for better accommodations this time," he said.

Had he imagined it, or had the little talisman glowed brighter? He watched it for a minute thoughtfully.

"If we are in the time when Wolf's parents die, I know it's going to be hard for him. Hard for Virginia too. I just want you and Snow White to know, this isn't easy for me either."

The light in the talisman sparkled brighter again.

"Good. So long as you know." Tony thought again. "I guess I'm not used to Virginia being married yet. She and Wolf are a complete unit without me. It was easier back in Wendell's castle when I was Inventor to the King. At least there I thought I was useful."

The talisman glowed again.

"Yeah, I know. You think I'm still being useful. But tonight, tonight I just feel alone."

An especially long sparkle of light emanated from the little mirror this time.

"Well," Tony said, sighing, "at least I've got you to talk to." He rubbed the surface of the mirror with his thumb. "Good night, Matilde."

The mirror sparkled back in reply.

Tony burrowed down into the blanket and closed his eyes. He wondered if the mirror had really sparkled in answer to him. Or had it simply caught one of the stray beams of moonlight that were reaching into the lean-to? Either way, he continued clutching the talisman as he fell asleep.


	43. Chapter 43

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

**Watcher in the Night**

In the present, Matilde was standing alone in the mirror room. She had been holding her cane up, sending waves of light into the mirror. She wished Tony's talisman could have sung some comfort to him the way Virginia's ring could. But a flash of light in the mirror was all she could provide without being there herself. She couldn't go anywhere at that point. Not unless there was a real emergency. Not with a major war brewing.

"Poor Lord Lewis," she said, as she watched Tony sleep. "You don't know it, but I think your last invention will end up being very significant in this war. You're every bit as important as your daughter and son-in-law. In some ways, even more so."

Tony snored loudly on his side of the mirror. It was a long powerful snore, the kind that's so noisy that it often wakes up the snorer. But in this case it didn't quite. Tony started slightly and muttered something unintelligible under his breath. Then he simply turned over.

Matilde laughed. "I think I like you better this way, Tony Lewis," she said. "You look almost amiable when you sleep. And even innocent."

She laughed again and the mirror went dark.


	44. Chapter 44

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

**Lost Little Boy**

Tony slept very well that night. In the morning, though, he woke up with the feeling that someone was watching him. He turned over and looked up. Young Warren Wolf was watching him through the window of the door.

"What are you looking at?" Tony asked crankily. He wasn't particularly a morning person.

The boy opened the door a crack and stuck his nose in. "What?"

Tony winced. He was obviously going to find this younger version of Wolf every bit as irritating as the older one. "I said, what are you looking at?" Tony repeated.

"Nothing," the boy answered in perfect little boy fashion.

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

The boy thought for a moment. "I don't think so."

"Then why don't you go inside and play?"

"Cos Mama sent me out here. She said I was bothering Virginia too much." The boy put his weight on the doorknob and swung back and forth on it like it was a mini ride. With each swing, his shoes scraped on the ground loudly.

"Couldn't you be more quiet?"

"What?" the boy said. He'd been concentrating too much on his game to notice he was making noise.

"Oh!" Tony said. It was clear he wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. "I think I'll get up now and go inside."

The boy followed Tony to the door of the house and would have followed him inside too. But Tony turned back and said, "No, no. Your Mama told you to stay outside, remember?"

Young Warren cocked his head to one side and the crease deepened between his eyebrows as the door closed, leaving him outside.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief. At least it was quiet inside. Or at least, pretty quiet. Virginia and Scarlet were talking in the children's room. No one else seemed to be there, so he went to them.

Virginia was sitting in a rocker by the window with a redheaded baby on her lap. Scarlet was dressing another child of about two with dark hair. Little Rose was hanging close to her mother.

"Good morning ladies," Tony said.

"Oh, Daddy, look. This is Lazar." Virginia held the baby up so he could see the child's pink cheeks and tiny green eyes. "Isn't he adorable? And he has a little red tail. He's just the cutest thing."

Tony could barely contain his lack of enthusiasm. So far he'd been successful in ignoring the fact that his grandchild might have a tail. A tepid, "How nice," was the best answer he could muster.

Virginia cooed and gurgled and the baby smiled back at her readily.

Where's Wolf?" Tony asked.

"He's out with Josiah," Scarlet answered. She was putting the final touches on her second youngest son's faded outfit for the day. "There's a special spot in the river where he goes to fish sometimes. Wolves aren't supposed to be good at fishing, but Josiah is."

"Will Wolf be all right traveling without papers?" Tony asked.

"In that area he should be," Scarlet answered. "It's at the edge of the maple forest. After the sugaring is done, no one goes there much."

"You look just like your Mommy and your sister, don't you," Virginia cooed to the baby in her lap. The child smiled broadly as if he were thrilled at the idea.

"Wilhelm here looks more like our oldest," Scarlet said, referring to the two-year-old she was dressing.

And so he did. He had the same dark looks as the young Wolf. But when his mother said they looked alike, Wilhelm scowled as though he were thoroughly insulted.

"I'm going to take care of the little ones while Scarlet goes into town," Virginia said. "I gave her the rest of the beaver pelts we had in exchange for all she's doing for us. She's going to try to sell them in town."

"Fine, fine," Tony said.

"We're just going to stay here all day and play games, aren't we?" Virginia cooed at the baby. Lazar laughed this time. He was evidently looking forward to these games.

Unfortunately Tony wasn't.

Scarlet put little Wilhelm on the floor and started tidying the room. Rose took charge of her little brother at once, trying to draw him into playing with some well-worn wooden figurines.

"I think I'll go outside," Tony said.

"Oh," Scarlet said. "Would you remind Warren that it's time for him to go to school."

"Of course," Tony said, with a weak smile. When he got outside he breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. Young Wolf leaned around the corner of the house and started staring at him again. "Your mother says it's time for school."

The boy looked away from Tony and rounded the house, kicking the rust carpet of pine needles with his feet. "I don't want to go."

That was a standard little boy response, Tony thought. "Well, your mother says you have to."

The boy kicked the pine needles again.

"Gotta listen to your mother," Tony said. But then he noticed there was pain in the boy's hazel eyes. "Why don't you want to go to school?"

Young Wolf still didn't answer, he just kept kicking those pine needles.

Tony couldn't help it. He felt sorry for the boy. "Well, I haven't anything to do. How about I walk you to school? Would you like that?"

The little boy nodded eagerly.

"O.K. Just let me tell Virginia where I'm going so she doesn't worry." Tony went back in the house and found Scarlet almost ready to leave. Virginia was still cooing to the children in the back room. "I just wanted you to know," he said, "I'm going to walk the boy to school."

"Oh, that would be so nice of you," Scarlet said, gratefully. "It's not far from here. And you probably won't run into anybody else but children on the way. Sometimes they pick on Warren. I can't walk him because I have to watch the other children. And Josiah, well. Let's just say it's better if full blooded wolves aren't seen around too much."

"I'll take care of him," Tony promised.

Young Wolf was waiting right outside, his whole demeanor improved. Now he seemed excited to be going.

"Which way?" Tony asked.

"This way," young Wolf said, taking Tony's hand.

Tony was surprised at the boy's action, but he accepted it. Young Wolf was obviously just as touchy-feely as his older self. "So, are you learning to read yet?"

"Uh-huh," the boy said. He wasn't just walking next to Tony, you understand. He was hopping and bouncing and running, all while holding his hand.

"What's your favorite subject?"

"Gym," the boy said, leaping over a stone.

"Well, I can certainly believe that."

"Are you and Virginia gonna live with us?"

"For a little while."

"I like her. She's pretty. She smells good too."

"Yes, well," Tony said. At least the boy didn't say she was "succulent" or "creamy dreamy." Wolf must have gotten into those sayings later. Probably in his teenage years. That's when boys picked up most of their bad habits. "You like sports?"

"Uh-huh?" The boy was playing hopscotch on an invisible board now.

"Which ones?"

"Running."

"I should have known."

All at once the child stopped bouncing and sniffed the air. He looked worried. "Come on," he said, dragging Tony along.

"What's the matter?"

"Gotta go," he whined.

Tony didn't know what was wrong but in this crazy world of the Nine Kingdoms he'd learned to trust Wolf's sense of smell. Even if this kid was only seven, he probably knew what he was smelling. Tony picked up his pace and tried to keep up with the boy as he strained ahead.

Suddenly rocks starting sailing in their direction. They weren't big ones. They were on the smaller side. And they weren't being thrown with much force, as if small hands were tossing them.

"What's that?" Tony asked wincing as he was hit. He turned back and saw three boys, all about seven or eight. He had been thinking a dragon or something was chasing them. A dragon he might run from, but not children. "Hey, stop it!" Tony commanded. "I said stop it, you juvenile delinquents!" Tony started toward the boys as if he intended to turn each of them over his knee and give them a spanking.

The boys were surprised at Tony's size and lack of fear. They stopped throwing stones and countered back.

"Shouldn't you be in school? Come on. Get going," Tony ordered, pointing ahead. "Now!"

The boys ran off past them down the path, giving them a wide berth. But they called back tauntingly. "Hey wolf, hey wolf! Dirty animal!"

Young Wolf hung back and growled behind Tony.

"Do they bother you every day?" Tony asked.

The boy looked down at the ground and nodded yes. He whined and a single tear fell into the dust at his feet.

Tony wasn't good at doing the physical comfort stuff. But he patted the boy on the back in as consoling a manner as he could muster. "Tell you what. How about I come back and pick you up after school?"

Young Wolf looked up at Tony, his red eyes and face shining with hope.

"Fine. It's settled then. Now, come on. We better get moving or you'll be late."

While young Wolf was attending school, his older version was spending the day with Josiah. They fished in the morning and then went on to do some light hunting. They talked of being wolves, of having human mates, of full moons, and of living in a world that was less than fond of their kind. In the afternoon they laid down in some long grass under a large oak tree at the edge of a quiet field. The late spring day was very warm. Josiah panted now and again. And Wolf unbuttoned his shirt and pushed up his long sleeves.

"It must have been hard growing up without your parents," Josiah said.

Wolf looked away. "My foster parents tried, I guess. But they hated humans so much. Which means, they hated a part of me."

"The world is hard on wolves. And it's very difficult not to let it color your world. Your foster parents probably witnessed a lot. In fact, they were probably close to my father's age. He grew up in the era of the bounty hunters, you know. That was when they were still trying to turn everything into farmland. Then Red Riding Hood the First came along. She wasn't perfect. And she certainly didn't have a fondness for wolves. But she tried to be fair. She stopped the bounty hunting and moved our economy into controlled logging and maple sugaring." Josiah stopped and shook his gray head. "I always wondered what the full truth was behind the Red Riding Hood wolf attack."

"What?"

"You know. Why did Aesophocles attack Red Riding Hood? Wolves generally don't attack humans. My father told me it was for revenge. But he never did explain."

"Maybe it was because of the bounty hunting," Wolf offered.

"Maybe. Anyway, your foster parents probably saw a lot and it made them bitter. The same thing happened with my father. He grew to really hate humans. He was furious when I fell in love with Scarlet. He would have disowned me, if wolves did that. Scarlet's parents did."

"How did your mother take it?"

"My mother." Here was a topic that Josiah seemed to warm to. "My mother was the sweetest she-wolf in all of creation. And one of the prettiest. She was more silver colored than gray. I think she married my father because she hoped to round off his sharp edges. And he took her to give himself sanity. When I married Scarlet, she warned me of the dangers. But she was very fond of my wife and visited us regularly right up till Warren was born. Then she died. My father was a little friendlier after she was gone. But not much."

"And now?"

"He's been dead for a couple of years. The problem was, he just never got to know any humans who were on our side. Not any good ones, anyway. But there are a lot of them. Scarlet wouldn't be able to get the papers for you and your family without their help. And you're lucky to have a father-in-law who accepts you for what you are."

Wolf laughed derisively. "I wouldn't say that."

"Oh, but he does. From what you've told me, I think the problem between you two is that Tony basically built his whole world around his daughter. When you came along, you disrupted everything. Now he feels shut out. What he needs is to find a life of his own."

"Yeah," Wolf agreed. It was a good point. Last night Wolf had been particularly angry at Tony for acting all huffity-puffity when Virginia asked him to give them a little privacy. Now maybe he understood better.

"I just hope things don't get bad again now that Ruby, I mean, Red Riding Hood the Second is on the throne. She's tightened things up on the wolves again and started the night guards. There've been a lot more attacks against us." Josiah stopped to pant again. "But I'm getting morbid. The good news is that tomorrow is a full moon. My friend Goffrey and I always go hunting when the moon comes up. Why don't you join us?"

Wolf sat up straight, his tail wagging. "I'd love to," he said.

"Good. It'll just be the three of us."

"I hope you don't mind my asking. But why don't you take your oldest son as well?" Wolf had always wondered why his father had never taken him hunting or fishing as a boy, why all his hunting training had come from his foster parents much later on.

"Oh, no," Josiah said. "Not with the night guard. It's too dangerous. We're adult wolves. We know how to keep a look out for danger and take off quickly at a split second's notice. But Warren. How can a seven-year-old be expected to do that? He should stay close to the house at night till he gets older."

"I understand," Wolf said. "Is your friend Goffrey a full-blooded wolf?"

"Yes. But he's married to a human, a little blond named Lydia. She and Scarlet are friends. Goffrey and I go back a long ways. We grew up together in the same woods." Josiah got quiet for a moment. "If something happened to Scarlet and I, Goffrey and his mate are the ones I'd pick to be foster parents to our children. They'd bring them up right."

Wolf nodded. He couldn't say it. But he believed they'd done very well at bringing up his sister Rose.

When school got out that afternoon, Tony was waiting just as he'd promised. He saw the three boys who'd thrown the rocks that morning. They didn't talk to him, but they whispered to some other boys and pointed. Tony made a face at them.

Young Warren came bounding out of the school like the young wolf he was. He headed straight for Tony and stopped right on a dime. "Hi!" the little boy said. His eyes were bright and happy to see his newfound friend.

"Ready to go?"

"Sure," the boy said, grabbing Tony's hand.

Once again, young Wolf jumped and hopped and skipped at Tony's side.

"Don't you have any books?" Tony asked. It hadn't occurred to him earlier. But he'd just noticed that the three delinquent boys and their friends all seemed to be carrying books.

"No," little Wolf said.

"But the other boys have them," Tony pointed out.

"They're humans," the boy said, as if that explained everything.

"So?"

"So, humans get to take home books. Wolves only get to look at them at school. The teachers are afraid we'll chew them up."

"Excuse me," Tony said, coming to a complete stop.

"They're afraid we'll chew them up."

Tony was stunned. He'd seen Wolf read several books in his presence, mostly of the self-help variety. He'd seen Wolf throw them into rivers and fields when he'd finished them. And bend their backs till he broke their bindings. But never once did he see his son-in-law chew on one of them. "That's ridiculous!" Tony said. "Why would you do that?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. They say wolves can't be trusted."

"But how can you study or do homework?"

The boy shrugged again.

Tony was starting to get angry. The nerve of that school. How did they expect the boy to learn? To make anything of himself? He decided to change the subject. "Your Mama's back. She got the papers we needed in town."

"Does that mean you're going?" Young Wolf's eyebrows came together in real concern.

"Oh, I don't think for awhile yet."

"Good."

They went on a little further before Tony noticed young Wolf sniffing the air and tightening the grip on his hand. This time Tony had a pretty good idea what was up. He turned around and saw the three delinquent boys walking behind them at a comfortable distance with three additional boys. They whispered among themselves and quickened their pace when they saw Tony turn around. There was only one thing to do. Tony stopped dead in the road and waited for them to pass, all the while giving them a mean look, that said, "Don't mess with me if you know what's good for you."

In response, the pack of boys separated into two groups and sauntered past at an exaggerated walk. When they were a comfortable distance ahead, one of them yelled back, "Filthy animal!" But the others evidently were too wary of Tony to join in.

Young Wolf looked up adoringly at his protector. He didn't say it, but he was hoping against hope that Tony would walk him to school the next day too.

During the rest of the way, Warren and Tony talked of happier things. By the time they arrived at the little house under the pines, Josiah and Wolf had returned. And Scarlet and Virginia had dinner well under way.

Since it was such a nice evening, it was decided that they would eat outside on a blanket spread on the rust colored pine needles. They ate the fish that Josiah and Wolf had caught in the morning and a corn meal pudding that Virginia had learned how to make while staying with Emerald. After that, they settled down to listen to the music of the frogs in the nearby marsh. It was mating season and the males were singing froggie love songs to entice the local frog ladies.

Josiah rested his head on his mate's lap and sighed contentedly. Virginia nestled into Wolf's arms and watched the sky as the stars started to appear. Rose had laid back to watch the stars too but had fallen soundly asleep with her mouth open. As she slept she made adorable little girl sounds that made the adults all smile.

Young Warren was the last one to finish eating. He ate two helpings of fish and finished his sister's left over pudding. Then he licked the leavings in the crock that Virginia had cooked the pudding in.

"I can't thank you enough for giving us those pelts," Scarlet said. "Or for helping Josiah with the hunting. The children are going to eat very well this week."

"It's our pleasure," Virginia said.

"Are you tired?" Scarlet asked her eldest son. He was starting to look sleepy.

Little Warren nodded.

"You can go to bed if you want. Or you can stay up a little longer. We should probably go in soon before the night guard goes on duty. But I want to stay and watch the moon come up."

"I think Scarlet likes the moon more than I do," Josiah said.

"Some people worship it, you know," Scarlet said. "That's ridiculous, of course. But it's so beautiful."

Young Warren surveyed the adults around him. Then he got up and climbed into Tony's lap. Tony was surprised, but not nearly as much as Virginia and the older Wolf. They were amazed.

The boy leaned into Tony's chest and settled in for a nap.

"You comfortable?" Tony asked.

The boy nodded and promptly closed his eyes.


	45. Chapter 45

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

**Aspects of War**

Since the fall of the Second Kingdom, more trolls had joined the battle and one additional giant. This new giant's name was Ramos. He was a younger giant with closely cropped brown hair and a pockmarked face.

During the celebration over the fall of the Second Kingdom, young Ramos had talked his compatriots into dressing and arming themselves more like soldiers. In their earlier attacks they had thought their size alone would carry the battle. But except in the case of Spider, it had not.

"If we gonna take the Nine Kingdoms, we gotta do it like real soldiers," Ramos told the other giants. "We need armor and shields and swords and battle-axes."

The other giants agreed to the armor and shields but preferred battle-axes over swords. It was hard to hit small targets with a sword. Better to stick with battle-axes only and not weigh themselves down too much.

"Fine!" Burly said. "Dress like soldiers. Just remember who is in charge." He meant himself, of course. But Spider the giant had other ideas.

"Yes!" Spider said. "Remember that I am in charge. Since I conquered the Second Kingdom, I am clearly the greater warrior. I will tell the other giants what to do. Burly, you can boss the trolls." Then he leaned down and gave his troll ally a particularly nasty scowl.

Burly got the point. "Yes!" He accented his words with a swipe of his battle-ax. He was carrying the weapon all the time now to show everyone how tough he was. "Spider will boss the giants. I will lead the trolls!"

Of course Burly's two siblings pulled him aside the first chance they got to remonstrate with him.

"What do you mean, you're in charge of the trolls?" Blabberwort said. "The only reason the giants are cooperating with us is because I'm supplying them with Dwarf Moss and Magic Mushrooms. If I cut off their supply, they'll go home. Then where would you be?"

"And me," Bluebell said, "I was the one who gave us our first real victory by making that girl Virginia disappear."

But Burly was unimpressed. He shoved his younger siblings aside with his battle-ax. "Now that the giants got a taste of success they'll fight without your Moss and Mushrooms," he said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Blabberwort said.

"And our people already forgot about our father's murder," Burly continued. "What counts is that I won a big battle. I will now be leading the fight on two fronts as we begin to attack the Sixth Kingdom. I am clearly the greater warrior," he said, quoting Spider.

"Or the one with the biggest ego," Blabberwort said.

"Yeah," Bluebell agreed.

"You took the Second Kingdom because they were rotten fighters," Blabberwort said.

"Yeah," Bluebell agreed.

"Now that you got it, let's see if you can hold onto it," Blabberwort had said.

The next morning, the giant Ramos went to the border of the Sixth Kingdom, where he would need all his youthful energy. Queen Leaf Fall had overnight sent one battalion of elves to each of the threatened borders, including that of the Sixth Kingdom. So when Ramos marched up to the border with his regiment of trolls, there was a team of elves in the air and throngs of Ice Maidens on the ground.

The Ice Maidens always dressed in gowns of ice gray that matched their ice gray hair. Their main source of weaponry were magic arrows made of ice. After imbedding themselves in the body, they melted and leached out an irritating toxin. The toxin was powerful enough to make a human sick. But it was clearly going to take a lot of them to defeat a giant with a shield and a battalion of trolls dressed in armor. By the end of the day, things seemed to stand pretty much at a draw.

The First Kingdom's day of battle was also pretty much of a tie. The redheaded giant Marron had a better time of it with some of Blabberwort's troll troops targeting the elves and wolves. But of course, Blabberwort still had to hold back the bulk of her trolls for night battle. So, even though they retook some of the ground from the day before, they lost it again by evening.

The Fourth Kingdom's troops had the worst of it because they were now fighting on two fronts. Hoban the blond bearded giant and his troll ally Bluebell hammered away at half of the border, while Spider and Burly hammered at the other.

All of Wendell's troops had to fight. There was no time off for anyone. As the day wore on, the trolls and giants pushed Wendell's forces backward into the Fourth Kingdom. If not for the two troops of elves attacking the enemy from the air, they might have been in serious trouble.

Wendell promoted Lieutenant Burke to a Major and put him in charge of the human troops at the border with the Third Kingdom. It was a quick promotion, jumping him over the level of Captain. But it was war and Burke needed the authority to lead half the troops. With him served Rose's new aide, a young wolf by the name of Kobza. His rank had been named as Sergeant, since he was still very new to his command position. Meanwhile, Wendell and Rose, who had been promoted to a Major also, watched over the border of what had been the Second Kingdom.

Demetrius the hermit giant wasn't supposed to join Wendell's forces till the next morning because of the remote area of the Eighth Kingdom that he lived in. But King Cole's troops arrived just before dusk. Wendell's men cheered them as they marched up. But Rose's wolves greeted them with uncertain stares.

The first thing Wendell did was to explain to Cole's Captains how they had been running the battle. He called them under the branches of a bare oak tree not far from the fighting and showed them a map of the two borders.

"During the day the elves attack from the air," he said. "And the wolves distract the giant so the archers can get a better shot. At night, the enemy is made up entirely of trolls. We've found that our best defense is in leading with our part-wolf soldiers as scouts. They can scent out the trolls before our human soldiers know they're there." He turned to Rose and introduced her as the Major in charge of all the wolves. Several of King Cole's Captain's raised their eyebrows, but no one said anything. "She will demonstrate the two most important wolf calls you will hear. The others you will learn over time. The first is a long howl. This is very important. It means a scout has detected a large group of trolls moving through an unguarded area. Go at once when you hear this call. Otherwise the trolls may break through our ranks."

Rose demonstrated the long howl and the Captains who had raised their eyebrows were now shuffling their feet.

"The second most important call is what I call the two yips and a yowl. This is used to notify our troops that a band of trolls is approaching. Most likely through a guarded area. It is a simple warning to be ready. Rose, please."

Rose demonstrated this too. Now the Captains who had raised their eyebrows and shuffled their feet were exchanging wide-eyed glances.

"Excuse me, your Majesty," one of the shuffling Captains said. "Do you mean that we and our men are to take orders from wolves?" The look on his face told everyone that he couldn't imagine anything more horrible.

Wendell knew he had to deal at once with this challenge to his and Rose's authority. He sauntered boldly up to the Captain. "Can any of your men scent the approach of a troll moving silently behind a blind of shrubbery from a distance of a hundred yards or more?"

"Well, no your Majesty."

"Are your men fast enough to run in and out between the feet of a moving giant without getting crushed?"

The young Captain's eyebrows went up and down. "Not in our armor."

"With or without," Wendell said dryly, "I doubt they could do it. My last question is the most important one. Do you want this army of trolls and giants to crush the Fourth Kingdom and then head for the Fifth?"

"Of course not, your Majesty!"

"Good. I don't think King Cole would have liked any other answer. The truth is, we would have gone down like the Second Kingdom without the help of the wolves. And they have taken the greatest casualties because they always put themselves at the front of the fighting. So!" Wendell started moving in on the young man till they were almost nose to nose. "When you hear these calls, you will know that you're hearing them from a very loyal comrade-in-arms and immediately act on them. Am I right?"

The young Captain didn't understand how fast the world was changing. A short time ago King Cole had refused to endorse the proclamation honoring wolves. Then just last night, he reversed himself entirely. There had even been an announcement that morning from the Council of the Nine Kingdoms. It had been delivered by an array of elves and stated that a quorum of the ruling body of the Council had discovered that the original attack on Red Riding Hood had actually been part of a private feud. How was anybody to keep up with all these changes? He didn't like it, but he said, "Yes, your Majesty."

"Fine," Wendell said. "Half of you will be sent to serve under Major Burke at the border of the Third Kingdom. And half of each group will be fighting during the day, with the remainder fighting at night. Dismissed!"

Wendell stood and looked each of Cole's Captains in the eye as they departed, commanding each to take heed of his dominance or suffer the consequences.

When they were alone, Rose turned to the King and said, "You know, you would make an excellent alpha wolf."

"Thank you," Wendell said, pulling himself up to his full height.

But this little altercation did not solve the problem. During the night's fighting there were several run-ins between Cole's soldiers and Rose's part-wolf scouts. And because of that, Wendell's original troops didn't get as much rest as they'd hoped for. That included Rose. She devoted herself to answering the long howl's that signified the troll's advance through unprotected points. There were several of them that night. The trolls were taking advantage of the exhaustion of Wendell's troops and the lack of cohesion with Cole's soldiers.

A confrontation between Rose and one of Cole's men was bound to happen. And it did. Rose was bounding toward the scene of yet another troll break-through when, on the way, she ran into three of Cole's soldiers and commanded them to follow her.

"I don't follow no wolf," one of the privates said.

"But the trolls are breaking through," Rose said.

The long howl for help sounded again in the distance.

"So, you say."

Rose walked up to the private, coming almost nose to nose with him as Wendell had done earlier. The moonlit field they were standing in was bright, but not nearly so bright as Rose's yellow eyes. It was less than a week till the full moon now and she was entering the strongest time of the month for her. "Do you have a family?" she asked the private.

"Yeah. What of it?"

"Do you look forward to having them tortured by trolls or eaten by a giant? That's what that advancing army will do unless we move now. I am your commanding officer. And I am ordering you to follow that sound because there's a group of trolls moving through our lines right now!" She pointed in the direction of the howl with her sword, the moonlight glinting off its silvery side.

The private moved backward a couple of steps, but the shadows of hatred on his face remained.

The two men with him, however, were not so immune to reason. They ran off in the direction of the howl to do their jobs.

"So," the private said. "What's the difference if they get killed by trolls or by wolves? I heard that announcement the Council put out today. But I don't believe it. You can't trust a wolf no how. The only good wolf is a dead wolf. And you, you're just a dirty she-wolf, not fit to lick my boots." With that, he spit at her.

Rose's temper was not as controlled as it might have been at other times. She growled and smacked the private across the face with her free hand, her nails scratching him.

The private wiped his face and felt the dampness of blood. "Dirty wolf!" he said. And he tried to hit her with his battle-ax.

Rose moved easily out of the way and knocked the weapon out of the private's hand with her sword. Then, while the man was still off balance, she kicked him to the ground.

Two of Wendell's men ran up at this point. They had been coming in answer to the howl and had seen the private raise his battle-ax. Immediately, they took control of the man on the ground and waited for Rose's orders.

"Get him off the field and keep him under arrest till the King decides what to do with him," she ordered. "I've got to get back to the battle."

"Dirty she-wolf," the private spat out as he was led away.

Wendell was notified some time later about what had happened between Rose and the private. He received the news solemnly, but inside he was furious. He had no doubt that an ordinary woman would be dead from such an attack. How could this private do it? Couldn't he see Rose's nobility and utter loyalty? Couldn't he see her beauty and resiliency? If the man had been there, he would have challenged him to a dual on the spot. Instead he instructed that the private be returned to King Cole immediately with a list of charges and the suggestion of a court martial.

"Would you also tell the Major that I'd like to see her at her earliest convenience," Wendell said.

"Yes, your Majesty," Wendell's aide said. And he was off.

Convenience. It was a funny word, Wendell thought. Who had any convenience during a war?

A short time later, while Wendell was writing some dispatches to his Chancellor, the aide returned, running breathlessly.

"Your Majesty," the aide said. "I was trying to find the Major as you said. When one of the men told me he'd heard that she'd been injured and had stepped out of the fighting for a while."

"What?" Wendell said, rising to his feet. His mind was full of terrible images. What if Rose's injury was life threatening? Many of his troops had already died in this war. And none of their deaths had been easy. He couldn't just let her die in some corner of the battlefield, a mere cipher in the numbers lost that night. He had to find her. "Where is she?"

"I was told she's up north from here, straight along the border."

This time it was Wendell's turn to be off. He handed his aide the dispatch for his Chancellor to send by elf express. Then he sped away.

It didn't take long for him to realize how silly it was for him to chase off without help. He saw a full-blooded wolf running by and asked if she could help. "I've got to find out how badly she's injured," he explained.

"Of course," the wolf said. "It won't take long to scent her. I know she was down near this cluster of poplars earlier. I'll trace her from there."

The King followed nervously as the wolf picked up her scent and followed it north. The trail led into a wooded area, mostly filled with hemlock. It was a comfortable distance from the border.

"I think she's just ahead," the wolf said.

"Go, find her," the King commanded. "Make sure she's all right."

The wolf nodded. "I'll give you a medium length howl when I've found her." And she took off ahead.

Wendell kept pushing forward, his progress much slower than the wolf's. When the she-wolf called, he picked up his pace still further. Finally he found them, sitting at the base of a very tall hemlock.

"Rose, are you all right," Wendell said, snapping off the branches of the trees that were trying to hold him back. "I heard you were injured. Do you need a doctor?"

"No, it's just a troll bite," Rose said with irritation. "It's not enough to interrupt the war."

Wendell's relief was so great that he needed to lean against the trunk of a tree for support.

"I was just careless," Rose continued. "A group of us jumped a band of five trolls and one of them bit me. I came here to put some ointment on it." She patted the leather satchel next to her on the ground. Her sword was lying just to the right of it. "Troll bites can become infected so easily."

Wendell sighed. Then he turned to the she-wolf that had led him and said, "Thank you. I'll take it from here."

The wolf panted her acknowledgement and left.

"I was concerned about you," Wendell said, standing over her. That was putting it lightly. "I heard about your little run-in with that private from the Fifth Kingdom."

"Him!" Rose finished bandaging her hand and threw aside her leather satchel with a growl. "He called me names and then spit at me. So I slapped him. Then he threatened me with his battle-ax and I kicked him to the ground. I just totally lost my temper."

"A lot of the men in my command would have done far worse with that provocation. From what I'm told, you only gave him a couple of scratches across the face."

"It's just we had a lot of problems with Cole's men tonight," Rose said. "Not all of them are ready to accept their King's new proclamation or the Council's new finding."

"They will," Wendell said, sitting down next to her. "Give them time. And to be fair, some of them are trying to make the effort."

"Yes," Rose said, grudgingly. "But, Cripes, he made me so mad. The trolls were breaking through and there he was being stupid." She growled again.

"You know, I've never seen you angry. I was beginning to wonder if you were capable of it."

"Stick around. The moon isn't full yet."

"I've been worried about you for other reasons too," Wendell said. "You've been running yourself too hard. Ever since Carpathian left, I'm told you get very little sleep."

Rose turned and looked at him. "You're having me watched?"

"No. But let's just say that I try to keep up with how my staff is doing. You're very valuable to me. I can't let you get so tired that you make mistakes. I mean, ones that are worse than getting yourself bitten." He reached for her unbandaged hand. "I was really worried about you tonight."

Rose looked into his moonlit face and saw that he meant it.

Behind them the sounds of war were beginning to tug at the edge of the woods, coming closer all the time.

"I don't still stink, do I?" Wendell asked.

"I beg your pardon."

"A while ago you told me that my scent was, well, kind of strong. And since then I've tried to watch my bathing habits."

Rose pulled her hand out of his and fell forward laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Rose said, wiping the tears from her face. "You just don't understand wolves." She took his hand again and looked into his eyes. "What I said had nothing to do with how often you bathe."

"No?"

"It just meant that I'm very aware of you."

"Really? I'm very aware of you too."

He squeezed her hand. And she squeezed his back. They were close enough to feel each other breathing. Wendell couldn't resist her and he didn't want to. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. When he pulled back, it was clear that they both wanted more. He started to gather her into his arms when the long howl of a wolf was heard just south of them. The trolls were advancing through an unguarded area.

"I've got to go," Rose said, pulling away and reaching for her sword.

"Now?" he said.

She got to her feet and so did he.

"The war won't wait," she said. And she bounded off through the hemlocks, leaving him with her leather satchel.

"Oh, Cripes!" Wendell said, standing alone.


	46. Chapter 46

**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

**Lost Opportunities**

It was very cold in the basement dungeon of what had once been Red Riding Hood the Third's castle. During her reign, the former Queen had never done anything to improve the situation, though a few liberal types had made some suggestions.

"What do I care about the comfort of my captives?" the Queen had said, with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Of course, she had no way of knowing that she would one day be staying in the dungeon. If she had, she would have done things differently. But then, a lot of people would do things differently if they knew what the future held.

The dungeon was a cavernous place, broken off into two floors, both of them damp and dirty. There were no windows and no light save for the occasional torch, which didn't always get replaced when they went out. The upper floor of the dungeon was for "questioning" prisoners, but there were several cells there also. Some were small and a couple were quite large. The lower floor was made up entirely of endless rows of tiny single cells that made the ones Tony and Wolf had known at Snow White Memorial Prison look huge in comparison. They were divided with sturdy rock walls that faced onto aisles with more rock walls. The idea was to limit the contact each prisoner could have with other living beings. It was rumored that it had worked so well in a couple of cases, that prisoners had been forgotten and left to die accidentally.

After her capture, the Queen was put in a dungeon cell on the lower dungeon floor next to her private secretary's. Many of the castle guards had been taken there as well, but Burly ordered them kept apart from the Queen. He was afraid she might try leading them in the Second Kingdom's national anthem or something thoroughly disgusting like that. So, he had her and the twiggish secretary tucked into a far off corner on their own. Burly didn't know it, but he had done them a kindness.

The first day of their incarceration, the Queen and Ichabod were given no food, only a dipper of water. They wouldn't have gotten that, except that Burly planned to have the Queen tortured and questioned the next day. His father had always said, "Deny a prisoner food and water if you want. But don't overdo it if you still want to torture and question them later. They might pass out and spoil the fun."

Outside the castle the trolls were celebrating the acquisition of their new kingdom. But of course Ichabod and Red knew nothing of that. They only knew cold, hunger, thirst, and the beginnings of friendship.

When Ichabod came to, he heard his Queen's voice calling his name. He'd been dreaming, lost in a terrible nightmare about the Queen being eaten by a giant.

"Ichabod," the Queen called. She'd heard him moaning and she thought he might be awake.

When Ichabod opened his eyes the first thing he saw was a dirty gray stone ceiling. Then he lifted up his head and he saw dirty gray walls.

"Ichabod," the Queen said again.

"Your Majesty?" Ichabod still hadn't processed his location. After all, he'd never been down in the dungeons. He'd only heard about them. He sat up straight and looked around behind him. The metal bars of his miniscule cage told him where he was. "Your Majesty?" he repeated.

"I'm in the next cell," the Queen said.

Ichabod got up off the stone floor and leaned his face against the bars. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm just cold. I haven't got any shoes and my dress is ripped. And I think I'm badly bruised. Otherwise, I'm fine."

The Queen's dress was actually in good shape, considering the way the giant had grabbed at it. It was a tribute to the careful workmanship of her dressmaker. The several petticoats underneath allowed her to sit with her feet tucked in so she could keep her feet at least a little warm. It was her bodice that was the problem. The moiré dress had a plunging neckline and was slightly off the shoulders. In all the rough handling by Spider the giant, the sleeves had become torn loose from the top of the dress.

Ichabod thought for a moment. "Your Majesty, if I reach out my hand can you touch me?

"I beg your pardon," she said.

"You can have my shoes. And I have a jacket. You can have that too. But I need to see if you can reach that far."

"Oh. I see what you mean. All right."

The Queen put her left arm through the bars. And Ichabod reached his right out to meet her. It was a good thing he was so thin. Their fingertips could just touch.

"That's enough," he said. "I'll pass you my jacket first."

The buttons on the jacket echoed slightly against the metal bars as Ichabod pushed it through. But since no one was watching them, no one cared.

"You have it?" he asked.

"Yes."

"All right. I'll pass you my shoes next." Ichabod sat down on the floor of his cell and took off his shoes. He wished he'd polished them that morning as he'd meant to. But it couldn't be helped. "How do they fit?" he asked after he passed them through.

"Not bad."

The shoes were ridiculously long on her feet. And she preferred the slimming effect heels had on her legs. But the jacket fit quite well, actually. Ichabod was taller then the Queen, but he wasn't any broader.

"I don't think my couturier would care for it," the Queen said. "I think he would especially object to the shoes. It will do, though."

"Good."

They spent a long time in silence after that. They could hear the trolls bringing in more prisoners. But no one came down to their aisle.

Finally, somewhere around nightfall, the Queen said, "I'm hungry."

"I'm afraid I can't help you there, your Majesty."

"I wonder what they're going to do with us."

"Perhaps, they'll charge a ransom for you. I'm sure the Council and your friend Queen Leaf Fall would pay handsomely to have you released."

"Perhaps." the Queen said, but she doubted it. Ichabod had been unconscious when Burly had talked about torturing and questioning her and burning her in a big public execution. She had always been a self-centered woman. But she was still queen, still Red Riding Hood's granddaughter. When the time came, if the time came, she hoped that she would do her grandmother proud.

"I'm sure the rest of the Nine Kingdoms will come to our defense," Ichabod said.

"With our destruction, they'll have to concentrate on defending themselves, especially if more giants join the trolls."

"But surely they'd try and rescue you, your Majesty."

"Not in the midst of a major war. Who would risk so much to come and save one woman?"

"I would," Ichabod said.

The Queen smiled a vague smile. "Thank you."

A few hours later a drunken troll came to give them each a dipper of water. "All hail the New Troll Kingdom!" he screamed at the top of his scratchy voice. The irritating sound thundered across the stone walls.

"Yes, all hail," the Queen said dryly.

The troll staggered and tried to see her more clearly. "You know. You'd be a lot prettier if you had a bigger nose and large pointy teeth. Oh, well." He passed the water through the bars to her. "You," he said to Ichabod. "You look like a dried up old twig. Here, drink this before you snap apart. We want to have the fun of doing that ourselves." The troll laughed heartily at what he thought was a joke. Then he retreated back into the dim recesses of the dungeon.

"Your Majesty?" Ichabod said, after the troll was gone. "Do you want my water?"

The Queen thought about it. Her mouth was dry, her lip paint long ago worn off. She wanted it badly. But she was Red Riding Hood's granddaughter, she reminded herself. And she had to be strong. "No. You drink it. We don't know when we'll get more."

They slept fitfully after that, each leaning against the wall they shared. It was the first time Red had slept in the presence of anyone. That is, except for her mother and nurse when she was a little child. Her mother, Queen Red Riding Hood the Second, had always adored her. In fact, she'd made her daughter the very center of her life. Certainly her father hadn't cared about her. He'd been too involved with his mistresses and the army to even notice her. She knew her mother would have gotten rid of him if he she could have. But he was so popular with the people because of his military talents. The Second Kingdom survived the Magic War so well because of him. Unfortunately, she had not inherited her father's talent for war. She had only inherited his good looks.

Late into the night, Red woke up. She noticed the torch nearest their cells had gone out. The dungeon almost echoed with silence, except for a vague scratching sound just outside her cell. She hated to think what might be making that sound. It was too dark to tell. She only knew that her resolve wasn't as strong anymore. Was it daylight yet? Would they be coming to question her soon? Or to execute her? She didn't want to burn. She wasn't made for this. She was made for silk sheets and scented baths, and sumptuous candlelight meals with teams of servants to wait on her. She wasn't her grandmother. It was cold. She was hungry. And the bruises the giant had given her were throbbing. Tears of self-pity started flowing from her eyes onto her torn dress. She sniffled softly, wishing she had a proper handkerchief.

"Your Majesty?" Ichabod said. "Are you crying?"

"Yes." There was another small sniffle and then her tears became sobs. "I don't want to die," she cried. "I can't be my grandmother."

"Nobody expects you to be."

"Oh, yes they do. But I can't. I'm not one of the Great Women of History."

Ichabod reached his hand through the bars of his cell. "Yes, you are," he said, soothingly. "And I don't believe destiny intends for you to die here. Somehow your grandmother's kingdom will go on."

"But Gretel's ended. As great as she was, her whole kingdom fell after she was gone. And then it went to the trolls."

"That won't happen to the Second Kingdom. Somehow it will be saved. And if I'm given the opportunity, I'll make sure you're saved along with it. I promise on my life."

Red reached her hand through the bars and touched the tips of his fingers. "Thank you. I'm glad they put you down here with me."

"I am too."

In another hour or so, four trolls came to Red's cell.

The leader wore an extremely tall pair of lace boots and had knotted hair almost to his waist. "Good morning, your Majesty!" the booted troll said jovially. "I hope you slept well. Prince Burly requests an audience with you on the next floor. He has many things that he wants to talk to you about." He waved to one of his men to unlock the cell.

"NO!" Ichabod yelled.

But no one paid attention. They took Red out of her cell and led her away. She wasn't able to walk with the pride and confidence that she'd hoped to the day before. Her head was bowed to her chest and her steps were uncertain in Ichabod's large shoes. But at least she wasn't crying anymore.

Red was gone all day and night. They didn't bring her back till the next morning. This time they had to carry her because she was unconscious.

"Your Majesty!" Ichabod called when he saw her.

But of course she couldn't reply. The booted troll wasn't in attendance this time. Broken queens weren't worth his time. There were only two trolls. One to carry Red and the other to unlock the door of her cell. There was no trace of gentility as they tossed her in and left.

"Your Majesty!" Ichabod called again. But it was no use. This time he had to wait for her to wake up. He never questioned whether she would or not. She simply had to.


	47. Chapter 47

**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

**Female Bonding**

That same morning in the past, Virginia went on a shopping trip to the village with Scarlet and her friend Lydia. The official reason for the trip was to purchase some material for a dress that Scarlet was supposed to make for one of the local women. The lady in question was the wife of a local maple sugar merchant. She had a fondness for the color purple and she was Scarlet's main dressmaking customer. The money from this dress would be needed to see the family through most of the summer.

It was another beautiful spring day, but it wasn't quite as hot as the day before. The three women were in excellent spirits and they talked easily. They had much in common, after all. For one thing, they were all three married to wolves.

"There's a full moon tonight," Lydia said with a secret smile. She was the oldest of the three. She wore her blond hair in thick braids, wrapped around her head. Her dress was made out of sensible brown muslin and had a sensible cut. "You know what that means," she chuckled.

Scarlet laughed too and gave Lydia a friendly shove.

"Josiah and Goffrey are going hunting, right?" Virginia asked innocently. "Wolf is going with them."

"Oh, yes," Lydia said. "They're going hunting. They'll investigate the woods at length and bring back a bit of small game. But they won't come back tired. They'll still have lots of energy to burn off, if you know what I mean."

Scarlet gave Lydia another shove and said, "You're terrible."

"Why? I love it when Goffrey comes home all hot and bothered and start's chasing me around. Don't you?"

Scarlet laughed again.

Virginia blushed slightly. She'd finally gotten what they were talking about.

"Now, now," Scarlet said. "You shouldn't go talking like that in front of the new bride."

"She knows what I'm talking about. Or she wouldn't be blushing." Lydia said. "It's my favorite night of the month, when he gets all growly and hungry like that. Go ahead. Admit it, Virginia."

"Well," Virginia said hesitantly.

"See," Lydia said. "She agrees. We didn't just marry these wolves for their looks, you know."

"That's enough," Scarlet said. "You're going to have Virginia thinking terrible things about us."

So Lydia changed the subject, but only slightly. "Mrs. Palma is the one Scarlet's going to make the dress for," Lydia said. "She's just about the wealthiest woman in town. She always acts so proper. But they say that whenever her husband steps out of town on business, there's this certain much younger man who comes to pay her a visit."

"That's just rumor," Scarlet said. "If anybody believed it, they wouldn't have anything to do with her."

"Does her husband know about this rumor?" Virginia asked.

"How could he not? Everybody else does. But the word is that he doesn't care. Because, well, because he doesn't like women anyway. At least not romantically. Supposedly their families planned their marriage when they were children. And they stuck with it because it was good for business. They're supposed to be really good friends, but that's all."

"Lydia!" Scarlet said.

"Well, that's the rumor."

"Mrs. Palma has been very good to me," Scarlet said. "She's given me work and even passed along some of her old dresses to me. There aren't many people in this town who would give help to a woman who's married to a wolf, you know."

"That's true. But it's such fun thinking about her with that much younger man while her husband's off doing heaven knows what. And then seeing them both act so proper."

"I have a question," Virginia said. "Have either of you noticed a tendency on the part of your husbands to get irrational at times, to just go off half-cocked without thinking?"

"During the full moon, we've probably seen everything," Lydia said. "Otherwise, Goffrey is ridiculously easygoing."

"And Josiah is so serious," Scarlet said. "Funny you should ask that, though. Josiah is always saying I'm like that."

Virginia's eyebrows went up. "Really? I haven't seen that side of you."

"You just haven't been around me long enough," Scarlet said. "My mother was headstrong and I guess I am too. My father was very animated and emotional."

"Really?" Virginia thought that was interesting. It meant that Wolf got his father's dark looks but more of his mother's personality. And Rose was basically the other way around. "Do you miss having your parents in your life?"

"My father died when I was fairly young. And my mother died a few years back. I never saw her again after I left home. She pretended I didn't exist anymore. I didn't just run off with Josiah, as far as she was concerned. I ran out on the plans she had for me. I think for her that was even worse." Scarlet's face went dark and thoughtful. She didn't seem to want to say any more.

"Scarlet doesn't like talking about her family," Lydia explained. "I don't blame her. Mine wasn't too thrilled about my running off with Goffrey either. But my mother still visits us from time to time. They're not always happy visits but at least they're cordial."

"You're lucky your father accepts Wolf," Scarlet said.

"Maybe," Virginia said. "But they spar a lot."

"That's bound to happen with men," Scarlet said. "They all want to be alpha wolf. But the way your father is with Warren, I'm sure he's going to be a great grandfather to your little one."

"Yes," Virginia said. "I'm surprised at how friendly he is with little Warren." That was putting it mildly. She was flabbergasted. And so was Wolf.

At that point they arrived at the village. It wasn't a large one. The main street was really only a block long by Virginia's standards. It was a line of stores with a lot of quaint gingerbread style houses clustered all around. There was a General Store, a Harness Shop, a Pharmacy of sorts, a Shoe Maker, a Tonsorial Parlor (or barber shop), and a Magic Shop where you could get various herbs and powders. Scarlet led them to the General Store.

The owner of the shop, a man with a long mustache, did a double take when he realized who they were. "What do you want?" he asked, striding over, his mustache twitching up and down with each step.

"See, I told you," Scarlet whispered. "More alpha stuff."

"I said, what do you want?" The man's tone was stronger this time, his chin firmly set against his chest as he looked down on them.

"Material for a dress for Mrs. Palma," Scarlet said.

"Oh," the man said, pulling back just a touch. Evidently Mrs. Palma's name carried weight. He tugged on his mustache and said, "You'll want to see the new purple print we have in. It's in the back against the wall." He pointed and stalked back to the front of the store to wait on some other customers. But he never took his eyes off them.

Scarlet led the way to the dry goods section and Lydia and Virginia followed.

"Why does he keep staring at us?" Virginia asked.

"Don't mind him," Scarlet said. "He's afraid we'll steal something. He probably wouldn't let us come in here except for Mrs. Palma. She spends a lot of money in this shop and she told me to use her name whenever he gives me a hard time. It always works." Scarlet held up the material the storeowner had told her about. It was predominantly light purple, but it had gentle swirls of darker purple and beige. "This would be good for Mrs. Palma," she said. "Showy, but not too much so." She picked up a bolt of beige cotton cloth and held it against the purple print. "What do you think? I could make the cuffs and collar out of this beige. Then, to finish the outfit, I can make a decorative apron also in the beige. It will come down halfway in the front and have ruffles around the edges. In back, the apron will have big flowing ties that drape. Beige buttons or beige laces can finish it off."

"Sounds good," Lydia said.

"O.K." I'll carry the purple print up front for him to cut. Lydia, you take the beige. Virginia, you take that card of beige lacing. I think I'll go with laces. It'll be more decorative because the top bow will echo the bow in the apron."

As the ladies carried their purchases to the front of the store, an anxious young man came running in. "She's coming!" The boy yelled, jumping up and down. "The Queen's coming for her inspection tour!"

The other people in the store were excited. They smiled and murmured among themselves and hurried off. Scarlet and Lydia were not so happy.

"Oh, Cripes!" Scarlet said. "I didn't know she was coming today!"

"Why don't we buy these things for you," Lydia said. "You run on ahead and we'll catch up."

"All right," Scarlet said. She took Mrs. Palma's money out of her pocket and handed it over. Then she ran out of the store.

Virginia wanted to ask what was going on, but she didn't want to talk in front of the mustached storekeeper. Lydia took charge of the transaction and had them out in the street again in a few moments. The storekeeper came with them and locked the door behind him.

The street was filled with people already. And an open carriage was making its way slowly through the crowd. A redheaded woman dressed in an ornate red dress was riding at the back of the carriage waving. In front of her were two women dressed entirely in black. One of them was holding a little girl of about four on her knee. The child was dressed in a frilly red gown and had her red hair done up fussily in a series of combs decorated with pearls. She looked like a well-attired doll."

"Oh, no," Lydia said. "She's here. I hope Scarlet got out."

"Why does she need to run?"

"She's been successful in avoiding the Queen every year since she started these tours."

"But why does she have to avoid her."

Lydia sighed deeply but didn't explain.

That was when they saw Scarlet at the edge of the crowd in the street. She was trying to make her way through to the path that led back to the woods. But the excited crowd refused to let her through. They were pushing forward too hard to allow an opening. When the Queen's carriage came to the spot where Scarlet was desperately trying to escape, a pompous looking man stepped out into the street. Immediately, the carriage came to a halt.

"Your Majesty!" the pompous man said. He made an exaggerated bow. The sun glinted off his slicked hair, which he'd just had done at the Tonsorial Parlor just steps from where he was standing. "I am the mayor!" he announced loudly. He waited to see if the townspeople would cheer him, but they didn't. So, he went on. "On behalf of all of your loyal subjects, I want to welcome you to our fair town!"

Now there was a cheer, a big one. Everyone was thrilled to have royalty in their midst.

The Queen didn't smile as she beckoned for the man to come to the side of her carriage. From the depths of the frown wrinkles on her face, it was safe to say that she didn't smile much. And her green eyes were dull, as if something had died in them long ago.

The pompous mayor with his slick head tried to approach the Queen's side, but he had trouble getting through the crowd. They were pouring right up against the Queen's carriage now. Against her will, Scarlet ended up directly in the mayor's path. He looked down at her over his round belly, his eyes narrowing when he saw who she was. He wasn't happy about the wife of a wolf coming to such an important occasion, especially when she was arrayed in a patchwork dress that was just one step above a rag. He thrust out his lower lip and tried to wave her aside.

That's when the Queen's eyes fell on Scarlet. Her face showed surprise first. Then anger. As for Scarlet, now that she'd been seen, she stared back boldly. She raised her chin and allowed her face to become full of both pride and rebellion.

"Driver!" the Queen called. "Leave at once!"

"But your Majesty!" the mayor said. "We have a whole evening planned."

"Did you prepare me a place to stay?"

"Of course, your Majesty. The best accommodations in town, for you and the princess and your ladies-in-waiting."

"Then step up beside my driver and take me there at once."

"At once!" the flustered mayor said. "At once!" He jumped up next to the Queen's driver and they galloped off down the street.

Scarlet looked after the carriage, fury written across her face. She barely acknowledged Lydia and Virginia when they finally made their way to her in the crowd. "Come on," was all she could say to her friends at first. After which, she turned heel and marched off to the woods.

Lydia and Virginia walked after her, saying nothing at first. They merely let Scarlet march and swing her arms violently at her sides.

"Did you see the way she looked at me?" Scarlet said at last.

"Yes," Virginia said.

"And did you see the way the mayor tried to order me out of his way?"

"Yes," Lydia said. "He's never liked us."

"And to think. If things had been different, I would be Queen instead of her! Then it would be ME he would fawn over."

Virginia stopped in her tracks. "What?"

"I promised myself I would never tell anyone," Scarlet said.

"Only Josiah and Goffrey and I know," Lydia said.

"Know what?"

"That I'm Red Riding Hood the First's elder daughter," Scarlet said. "I've never even told my children because I don't want them to say something offhanded sometime and get us into trouble. Oh, Cripes!"

"Really?" Virginia asked.

"Really," Lydia said. "Scarlet ran off when she was a teenager so she could be with Josiah."

"And after that, my mother locked me out of her heart," Scarlet said. "I didn't just run off with a wolf. I also effectively ran off from everything she'd tried to do for our country. The Second Kingdom was still young then and so was my mother. There hadn't been any thought yet of succession, except by my mother. She expected me to be Queen and continue her dynasty. Part of me wanted to do that. Only, I wanted Josiah more." Scarlet pulled away from her friends and leaned against a maple tree, resting her head forlornly across one of its lower branches. "I think I did the right thing, at least for me. My mother had Ruby to fall back on. Ruby always wanted the job and the trappings more than I did anyway. I haven't seen my sister since I ran away. But she obviously recognized me just now. And she obviously hates me. When our mother died, I thought about going to the castle to visit her. But I didn't. When she started these tours, I just couldn't bring myself to try and see her. Well, destiny seems to have had other ideas."

"What are you going to do?" Virginia asked.

"Stay out of town till I'm sure she's gone," Scarlet said. "And try harder to avoid her next year."

For the rest of the walk home, Scarlet was very quiet. Lydia dominated the conversation with more gossipy tales of the secret lives of everybody in town. Once home, Scarlet left her three younger children in Virginia and Wolf's care while she pulled Josiah off into their room to tell him what had happened.

Virginia played a game on the floor with Rose and Wilhelm, while Wolf rocked little redheaded Lazar. She longed to tell Wolf what had happened with Queen Red the Second and the truth of his parentage. But it didn't seem proper to talk in front of the children.

Wolf knew something was up. Both Virginia and Scarlet were obviously distressed. But all he could do was shoot his wife questioning looks and wait.

Soon Scarlet came into the room. "I'm going to start dinner," she announced. "Virginia, why don't you and Wolf fetch me some water. Did you tell him what happened yet?"

"No," Virginia said.

Wolf licked his lips and looked from his wife to Scarlet.

"Well, there's no point in trying to keep it a secret from him," Scarlet said. "All of you have become like family these last two days. Josiah will take care of the children. I just need to be alone for a while."

"Of course," Virginia said.

Wolf put Lazar in his crib and they left the children in the care of their father.

"So what's it about?" Wolf asked, swinging the wooden water pail anxiously at his side.

"Well," Virginia said, "your sister was right."

"About what?"

Virginia stopped and put her hand on her husband's arm and looked into his eyes. Now Wolf was really scared.

"You are Red Riding Hood's grandson," Virginia said.

"What? No."

"It's true. Scarlet ran into Red the Second today and they certainly knew each other."

"Then why didn't she ever tell us?"

"She says it's because she was afraid one of you might say something out of turn and get the family into trouble. She probably would have told you when you got older."

"I can't believe it," Wolf said, pulling away from his wife's blue eyes and continuing on down to the creek.

"Come on," Virginia said, running after him. "Can't you see the resemblance between your mother and Topaz? Emerald's family apparently has a thing for wolves. Every now and then, one them just has to run off with one. I can't wait to tell Dad."

Wolf shook his head uncomprehendingly. "Oh, sure, he'll love that. Not only am I related to Aesophocles, I'm related to Little Red Riding Hood too. My self-help books would call both sides of my family extremely dysfunctional." He huffed loudly and shook himself at the thought.


	48. Chapter 48

**CHAPTER** **FORTY-EIGHT**

**Lunar Madness**

Tony picked up young Warren at school again that afternoon. By now the juvenile delinquents were starting to avoid them. Tony's nasty stares had done the trick. Now they were able to walk unmolested and devote themselves to more interesting conversation, like enchanted frogs. Warren had heard that sometimes people and princes got turned into frogs by witches as a punishment for something.

"Maybe sometimes," Tony said. "But they also get turned into other things. I knew a prince once who got turned into a dog."

"Really?" Warren said. While looking up, his dark hair fell into his eyes and he shook his head to get it to fall back into place.

"Yep. His wicked stepmother was a witch."

"Like with Snow White?"

"Exactly."

"Wow. What happened?"

"Well, the wicked stepmother was trying to take over the kingdom. And it almost worked. But Virginia and Wolf and I turned the tables on her."

"Wow."

"And the prince was so grateful, he gave me the title Inventor to the King."

"Wow. What's an inventor?"

"It's someone who builds things that make life easier."

"Is that like a magician?"

"No. There's no magic involved. But if you invent something important, it can almost seem like magic."

Little Warren sniffed at the air and his grip on Tony's hand tightened.

"What is it?" Tony asked. "Is it those boys again. Because I'm ready to turn every one of them over my knee." He looked around behind him expecting to see the delinquents. But the path was empty.

"No," the boy said, pulling Tony forward. "Much worse."

Tony didn't need to be told twice. He hadn't seen any dragons following them. But picking up the pace seemed a good idea.

"Faster," the boy said. "They're catching up."

"Who is?"

And then Tony heard the running through the underbrush on either side of the path at their rear. He glanced behind but still couldn't see anything, except waving shrubbery. At least they weren't as big as dragons.

"Hurry," Warren said. "We're close to home."

Unfortunately, it wasn't close enough.

Just as they were about to reach the break-off from the main path that led to Josiah and Scarlet's, one of their pursuers pulled out ahead and jumped directly into the path ahead. It was a large gray wolf with its teeth bared. Behind them out of the bushes, a she-wolf of a similar shade stepped into the path, also with her teeth bared.

Tony came to an abrupt stop and Warren wrapped his arms around his legs fearfully.

"O.K.," Tony said to the wolves. "Just let us pass and nobody gets hurt."

"What are you doing with a human?" the larger wolf said. This question was obviously directed at young Warren. "There's only one thing a human's good for."

"All right now, whoever you are," Tony said. "The boy is obviously afraid of you. So, why don't you just go on your merry way and let us pass."

"Huff-puff!" the she-wolf said. "He's a wolf, not a boy."

"No," Tony said coolly. "I believe he's half-wolf. Which means he's both human AND wolf. And anyway, what gives you the right to come here and terrorize the boy?"

The male wolf growled and stepped closer. And Tony pushed little Warren behind him.

"We were good friends of his grandfather's," the male wolf said. "And before he died, he made us promise to remind him of his wolf heritage."

"I think his father is doing a fine job of teaching him about his wolf heritage now, thank you very much," Tony said.

Again the male wolf growled. "How? By mating with a human woman?"

"Well, it happens to the best of us," Tony said.

Suddenly Josiah appeared on the path leading from his house. He had scented the two wolves from the nursery window. His teeth were bared and his hackles raised. Scarlet was just behind him. In her hands was the ax she used to chop wood.

"I told you to stay away from my son," Josiah snarled.

"But you're not doing your job," the male wolf said. "He has no idea what it is to be a wolf. Look at him now, clinging to a human. Your father would be appalled. There can be no friendship between humans and wolves. They come at us with pitchforks and we lie in wait for them as Aesophocles did for Red Riding Hood."

"You're just as twisted as my father was. You should have followed him when he finally moved permanently to the Deadly Swamp. Get out of here!"

Josiah growled again and Scarlet moved forward with the ax raised above her head. Wolf and Virginia appeared behind them, with Wolf well in the lead. As soon as he'd scented who it was, Wolf had left the pail of water by the house and come running.

The male wolf turned and looked at Wolf. Then he stepped forward to get a better sniff. "Who are you?" he asked disgustedly. "Another half-wolf?"

Wolf growled instinctively. He was obviously being challenged.

Josiah stepped forward again. "I said go!" he snarled.

"Or I'll lodge this in your back," Scarlet said. It was clear to everyone that she meant it.

The male wolf pulled back and signaled to his mate. "All right, we'll go," he said. "This human smells too bad to eat anyway." He waved his snout in Tony's direction and moved back up the path.

"Well, THANK you!" Tony said.

No one moved until the two wolves were well out of sight.

"Why did they come?" Scarlet asked, lowering the ax.

"Must be the full moon," Josiah said.

"Who are they?" Tony asked.

Wolf looked down at the ground, his mind definitely elsewhere.

"Thank you for running to our rescue," Josiah told Wolf. "But Scarlet and I could have handled them. We've done it before. They wouldn't hurt me or Warren because of my father."

"Well, I don't trust them," Scarlet said. "Not by a long way."

"Nor should you," Josiah said. "They don't like humans at all."

"But who are they?" Tony repeated.

"Scarlet, why don't you take Warren in the house, while I explain things to our friends."

Scarlet held out her arms to her son. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

Warren nodded and ran to her.

"I'll feed the other children too while I'm at it," Scarlet said. She mused up little Warren's dark hair. And he gazed up at her adoringly with wide eyes.

"Take your time," Josiah said.

Wolf carried the heavy pail of water in the house for Scarlet, then returned to the front stoop to hear the story.

"I know you've all heard of Aesophocles," Josiah began. He was sitting at the front door on his haunches, with the others sitting around him. "He was my grandfather. I should have told you yesterday, Wolf. But I didn't want you to think badly of me."

Wolf shook his head as if this bit of news didn't matter to him. Which, of course, it didn't.

"My father's name was Scythian. Not many people know it, but after Snow White's stepmother danced at her wedding, she dragged herself off to the area just outside the Deadly Swamp. There she met my father. I've always had the feeling that he knew her from somewhere else. But I'm not sure of that. Anyway, my father was very unhappy with the Second Kingdom by then. He would have preferred to leave it all together. But my mother didn't want to go. She preferred to stay here near her family. So, my father left us to travel a lot during the season when food was most plentiful.

"One time when he came back from a visit to the Fourth Kingdom, he told us how he happened to find Snow White's stepmother. He said she was lying at the edge of the swamp unable to walk on her burned feet. He told my mother that he took pity on her. But I think he was hoping that he'd finally found someone who could help him carry out his dreams of revenge. He carried Isabella on his back into the Swamp where she would be safe from her enemies. Then he caught food for her and took care of her till she was healthy again. In return she promised to include him in the revenge she was planning for the House of White. There's a rumor she taught him how to shoot poisoned arrows, but that's not true. My mother would never have stood for his using poison. Still, she didn't interfere with his helping her. I think she thought of the swamp witch as a sick, broken woman that my father was showing charity to. She didn't believe that Isabella could really pull off any great revenge. But my father believed it. He said that the swamp witch was training someone, a successor."

Tony and Virginia exchanged glances.

"Did he tell you who this successor was?" Wolf asked.

"No. He said that that had to be kept a secret until the plan was complete. Then, after this successor was ready to put the final phase into place, she would send for my father and together they would destroy the House of White. Then the House of Red would be next."

"But your father's dead, right?" Virginia said.

"Right. But he said, the promise would be kept even after his death. That I would next be asked to help in this plot of revenge in his place. But since I haven't had any evil successors knocking at my door, I think my mother was right. Isabella was a broken woman, just engaging in fantasy revenge."

Wolf's face got very serious. "But what if this successor just hasn't been able to come to power as quickly as she hoped," he said. What if she can't put this plan into place till after you've passed on?"

"Then, according to my father, she'll come looking for my children. Of course that's all nonsense. But those two wolves out there this afternoon, they were very close to my grandfather. I don't think they know about his involvement with Isabella because he tried to keep that a secret. But they think my son Warren has to be indoctrinated into my grandfather's system of beliefs."

Virginia shivered. Wolf pulled her close and rubbed her arms to warm them. But of course, it wasn't cold that made her shiver. He leaned his face against her hair and thought.

This story of Scythian and Isabella explained a lot of things to Wolf. He'd always been confused by the Evil Queen's obsession with him. Right from the start, on that day in Snow White Memorial Prison when Wendell had escaped in dog form, it seemed almost as if she were looking for someone specific when she came past his cellblock. "What are you?" she had asked. That had been a strange question. There were plenty of more powerful beings in that cellblock, all calling out to her at once. He was just staring out the bars when she came by. He didn't ask her to let him out, he'd only taken advantage of the opportunity. Did she know he was there? Had she been looking for him?

Then there was the way she kept contacting him after he'd first hooked up with Tony and Virginia. At the time he thought it was because she somehow sensed her daughter's presence. But then when he'd returned to her in Wendell's castle after the falling out with Virginia in Kissing Town, the Evil Queen had been so happy to see him. She accepted him easily as a comrade, as if they had always been so. She told him her entire plan. He realized all he had to do to defeat her, was pander a little. Meanwhile, she made no attempt to keep track of Relish's children. She might never have seen them again except that the Huntsman had taken them up as partners. Had the idea of the wolf secret police been originally Isabella's idea and not hers? Was that to be part of the payback for his grandfather?

Scarlet opened the door behind them. "The children have finished their dinners and are waiting for you to say goodnight," she said to Josiah.

"I'm coming," he said. He got up and started into the house. "I hope you don't think any less of us for all you've learned today."

"Of course not," Virginia said.

"I'm glad. In the short time you've been here, you've become like family. From the way Wolf smells, I think you may be."

"I think so too," Wolf said.

Josiah's eyes held Wolf's for a moment. Then he went inside.

"Well," Tony whispered, "was that story freaky or what?"

"It gets better," Virginia said. Quickly she told her father the story of Scarlet's parentage.

"Wolf," Tony said, "you come from some dysfunctional family. I mean, your parents are nice, but the rest of them."

"There's more," Wolf said, his eyes shifting from side to side.

"More?"

"Those wolves this afternoon? They're my foster parents."

"I should have known," Tony said, shaking his head. "That explains a lot of things about you. Warren, I mean, your younger self was very afraid of them. He was clinging onto me so tightly and shaking so hard. I mean, YOU were." Tony waved his hands in exasperation. "Oh, you know what I mean."

"It must have been hard growing up with them," Virginia said, rubbing his arm consolingly.

"They did love me, I think. Part of me, anyway."

The door to the house opened again. It was Josiah. "Time to hunt," he announced. "Virginia and Tony, your dinner is ready. Wolf, you and I and Goffrey are going to find our meal in the woods. Come on!"

Wolf was up on his feet in a minute. The moon was starting to make itself felt and he was ready to roll with it. A hunt with other wolves was just what he was yearning for. He gave Virginia a quick goodbye kiss.

"Have a nice night out with the boys," she said.

Scarlet seemed to be feeling some strange effect from the moon as well. She had no plans for hunting, but it seemed very important to her that they all go out front and watch the moon rise. "Usually, I bring the children out to watch with me," she said. "But it's going to be such a treat to have adults to talk to instead."

Virginia and Tony exchanged glances but said they'd love to. They sent Scarlet out to watch for the moon rise while they cleaned up.

When they were alone Virginia said, "You know, I wonder if there isn't a bit more wolf in Emerald's family than anyone's aware of. Maybe back a few more generations. Maybe on Topaz's father's side. There seems to be a strong pull towards nature in some of them."

"Nothing about Wolf's family could surprise me anymore," Tony replied dryly.

Tony didn't see much of the moon. He fell asleep almost immediately, leaning against the side of the house. Virginia wondered at him being so tired because she hadn't noticed him being all that busy during the day. But she decided to let him sleep. It gave her and Scarlet an opportunity to engage in a serious talkfest.

Since Scarlet had been so candid with her background, Virginia thought it only right to share hers as well. At least, as far as she could. She told Scarlet about her mother's leaving when she was a child. And about how she found her later, only to be rejected again and even threatened with death.

"I had to kill her in order to defend myself," Virginia said.

Scarlet nodded. "She was obviously under some kind of enchantment. Or maybe she sold her soul to some kind of evil. You've had a hard time. My mother turned me aside too. But I was older. And I don't think she would ever have hurt me."

Virginia thought for a moment, remembering Emerald and Topaz. There was a love for wilderness running through the Red family. But there was also a trace of cruelty. "Were you and your sister closer when you were little?" she asked.

"Not really. We always had different interests. I was the outdoorsy type, which my mother shared to some extent. My sister Ruby was more into clothes and handsome boys. Her husband, King Henry, was the handsomest officer in my mother's army. He was also very charming and more than a little stuck up. He actually pursued me before he went after my sister. I went out with him a few times to please my mother, but I was already secretly becoming involved with Josiah. So, when Ruby made a play for Henry and finally lured him away, I was quite relieved."

"It's funny how things turn out," Virginia said.

"Yes it is," Scarlet said, gazing up lovingly at the moon. "I hope Ruby has been as happy in her marriage as I've been in mine."

Tony let out a series of loud snores and the ladies had a hard time holding back their laughter. When Wolf and Josiah returned, Tony's snoring curtained their footsteps. Josiah was able to leap out of the woods and catch Scarlet completely unawares. He knocked her to the ground and growled playfully in her face. Wolf pounced on Virginia from the other side of the house. He scooped her up into his arms and covered her face with kisses.

"Shhh!" Virginia said. "You'll wake up Daddy."

"Oh, nothing can wake him up when he snores like that," Wolf said.

Scarlet and Josiah got up from the ground and started heading indoors. "We're going to turn in now," Scarlet said.

"Us too," Wolf said, nibbling on Virginia's neck hungrily.

"What about Daddy? We can't just leave him here. What about the night guard."

"He'll be fine," Wolf said. "We saw a caravan of gypsies down by the river. Josiah says they pass through here every year at this time on their way North. And when they do, the night guard always goes down to visit them. Supposedly it's to make sure they follow the town laws. But somehow it turned into a party. Believe me. The night guard isn't riding tonight."

So the two couples went inside and left Tony sleeping against the house.

About two hours later, it started raining. It was a gentle rain at first that barely broke Tony's snoring rhythm. But then it picked up and he woke with a start. "Wha, what?" he said, jerking upright. He looked around uncomprehendingly at first. Then he remembered where he'd fallen asleep and processed the fact that it was raining and he was getting wet. He jumped to his feet, knowing he should do something. A quick look around told him he was alone and that the house was dark. There was nothing to do but run for the lean-to.

Happily the lean-to was dry. The roof Scarlet had made for it was watertight. Dry clothes were now in order. His pants were pretty dry, but his shirt was too wet to sleep in. He took it off and wiped his face and hair with it and hung it from some logs to dry. Then he settled barechested into his wood chip mattress, leaving the leather satchels containing the travel dust close at hand.

He leaned himself on one arm and gazed into the tiny sliver of mirror around his neck.

"Are you there Matilde?" he asked the talisman.

A light glinted from the little mirror.

"Good."

After their first "discussion," Tony had wondered if maybe he'd imagined the whole thing. So, the next night, he tried to have another conversation with the mirror. Once again it put out beams of light in answer to his questions or comments. And he knew somehow that it was Matilde on the other side. To make things clearer, he told her to flash once for yes and twice for no. The two had had a long discussion the night before on the state of the war in the present and his affection for little Warren.

"Did you see the way they left me lying out there in the rain?" Tony asked.

Another single light glittered. That meant yes.

"You're probably laughing at me right now aren't you?"

Yes, came the answer.

"I thought so. Did you see Wolf's foster parents pay us a visit this afternoon?"

A single beam shone through the mirror.

"I wish there was something I could do to keep them from taking him."

The mirror glowed twice.

"I know," he said with a sigh. "I can't change the past."

Again two flashes.

"But I wish I could."

Yes, came the answer.

Tony rubbed his thumb over the little sliver of mirror. He was starting to get sleepy again. "Well, goodnight, Matilde," he said.

The mirror sparkled.

He started to settle down into his wood chip mattress, his right hand still clasping the talisman. He lay quietly for a few minutes. Then, he pulled the mirror up in front of his face again. "You've been watching over us at night all along haven't you?" he asked.

Yes, came the answer.

"I thought so. Somehow I had a feeling you were. I felt better about leaving Virginia at Emerald's knowing you were out there watching."

A strong beam of light came through the mirror.

Tony ran his finger over the talisman again. "I don't think Wolf felt that as much as I did."

No, came the answer.

He looked deeply into the mirror again, wishing he could see her as clearly as she could see him. "Good night, Matilde," he said.

The final beam of light from the mirror seemed especially warm and bright. Tony watched until it faded away completely.

Virginia woke up sometime during the night. She rolled into the spot where she expected to find Wolf and found it cold and empty instead. "Wolf?" she said, sitting up. He was just a short distance away, staring hypnotically into the orange depths of the fire.

She wrapped herself in the blanket and slid over to him. "What's the matter," she asked, draping her chin over his shoulder.

"I'm thinking," Wolf answered.

"That's pretty obvious. About what?"

He gave a long sigh that had just the suggestion of a whimper in it. "A lot of things. My parents. My foster parents. Rose. Me. My two little brothers. Those gypsies we saw tonight by the river. They're probably the ones who are going to take Lazar and Wilhelm."

"I'm sorry," Virginia said, rubbing the stubble on his cheek.

"At least Rose and I found each other. But I'm never going to get a chance to meet my brothers again. I'm never going to meet them as adults."

"Well, maybe we can borrow some more magic traveling dust and take another trip into the past."

"But I wouldn't know them. I don't even know if I'd like them."

"How did they die again?"

"Rose said Lazar was killed for showing interest in a human girl. And Wilhelm was killed for poaching. But she wasn't able to find out any details." Wolf paused for a moment. "And Rose. What about her? I left her with Wendell's army. Snow White said there was going to be a big war. Is she all right? Has she been wounded or maybe even killed?

"I'm sure she's all right," Virginia said.

"And then, there's my parents. I think it's going to happen soon. This time is very foggy to me. But my feeling is that it could happen any day now. Maybe even tomorrow."

Virginia moved in closer to her husband and wrapped her right arm across his chest. With her other hand, she smoothed back his thick dark hair. It was an intimate moment that only the singing ring would have dared interrupt. It raised its little pearl head and started humming as though it wanted their attention.

Virginia wrapped her left arm across Wolf's shoulder so they could both see it.

"Tomorrow when Warren returns from school," it sang,

Scarlet will be angry at their new rule.

Off to her sister, she then will fly,

With hopes to change things, she will try."

"Did you understand that?" Virginia asked Wolf.

"No," he said honestly.

"It's a good thing I've had some practice at this. Ring, you've just got to start coming up with clearer rhymes. You mean Warren's going to bring home some news tomorrow that will make Scarlet angry? And then she's going to go complain to Ruby?"

"When Scarlet leaves upon her quest,

You must do your very best.

Virginia's mirror she must take,

And leave it in her angry wake."

"You want her to take my talisman? And leave it where?"

"A gift to the Queen it shall be,

So in the present they can see.

Their angry words will all be shone.

As well as plans made by the throne."

"Oh, Cripes," Wolf whimpered. "This doesn't sound good."

"One more thing, Ring," Virginia said. "Do you know if Wolf's sister Rose is all right?"

"Have no fear for her at all," the ring sang.

She carries on your bugle call.

A major now, she starts to be,

And soon will see her destiny."


	49. Chapter 49

**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE**

**All Through the Night**

It was almost dawn when Leaf Fall came looking for Matilde. The older woman was seated as she knew she would be in front of the Mirror of Truth with her crystal ball at her side. But the mirror wasn't dark as Leaf expected. It was centered on the snoring form of Tony Lewis.

"What?" Leaf said, coming to a stop in the doorway. "You're watching him sleep?"

"No," Matilde said, waving her hand at the mirror. It went dark immediately. "I was just thinking."

"How can you think with all that snoring?"

"During the Magic War I got used to thinking and sleeping through everything. I was remembering our run-ins with Ruby."

"Yes," Leaf Fall said, gliding to an empty chair and sitting down. "After we witnessed that bit between her and Scarlet in the road, I thought about her quite a lot too. Did you know about Red Riding Hood's elder daughter?"

Matilde sighed. "Well, when she was born, the Second Kingdom hadn't been formed yet. So, obviously none of us noticed. Ruby was born after the Kingdom had been founded. So, there was a lot of pomp and circumstance around her." Matilde smoothed her iridescent white gown and drew her fingers together thoughtfully in front of her. "Just after that, I got involved with your father and I know I didn't pay any attention then. I had other things on my mind."

"Yes. And I had just begun my marriage to Woodbine."

"I heard vague talk of an older girl running away and eloping. But at that time we were all caught up in 'Happily Ever After.' I probably thought it was sweet and promptly forgot about it."

"So, did everyone else, evidently."

"Not everyone," Matilde said. She picked up her crystal ball and placed it in her lap. Then she pulled back the special white cloth. It was made of the distilled essence of clouds and kept the ball at just the right temperature for its comfort. "During the night, my crystal and I contacted some of the older fairies who are now standing guard at the border of the Eighth Kingdom. They told me they remembered rumors of Red having an older child. But they never bothered to investigate because it didn't seem important. There are probably others in the Second Kingdom who remembered too and passed the rumor on to their children. It just never became common knowledge."

"Because Scarlet and Red never advertised the fact," Leaf said. "Then, Ruby got married with full royal splendor and was crowned Queen at her mother's death. Then there was the Magic War. Anyone without direct involvement in Scarlet, forgot about her during that mess. Did you go to Ruby's wedding?"

"No," Matilde said. She stroked her crystal affectionately and then rewrapped it. "Mazarin was already beginning to act questionably then. Your father and I were mostly concentrating on him."

"I should have been too."

"No, you shouldn't have. You were just becoming a mother for the first time."

"And having the first problems in my marriage."

"Well, if it's any consolation. I believe Ruby's was far worse than yours."

"I know." Leaf Fall's wings flittered slightly. "My friend Red Riding Hood the Third told me a lot of things."

"So, you probably know more than I do. It's true, your marriage to Woodbine was a marriage of convenience, which gave each of you greater prominence. But you were both determined to commit to it. Ruby's marriage was based on love on her side. But for King Henry, it was a marriage of convenience to which he had no intention of committing. He committed himself to the Kingdom and the army. But never to his wife and child." Matilde put her crystal back where it had been and got up from her chair to stretch her legs. "Still, all that said. As sorry as I feel for Ruby's marriage, I can't condone a lot of the things she did."

"She was always in some kind of row with the Council. And you in particular."

"Well, you were there. We simply couldn't let her maintain that ridiculous school ruling. Especially when it was her mother that began public education."

"You know," Leaf Fall said, "Woodbine sent me a dispatch a while ago. He agrees now that we should be sending in troops."

Matilde couldn't help but laugh. "It's about time. Is he still hiding in that waterfall?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Just as well. We're just holding our own at the borders. My fear is that if we don't win soon and win soundly, that more giants will enter the battle and the ground we've lost will become greater still."

"King Cole is sending more troops to Wendell tomorrow."

"Which is both good and bad," Matilde said. "Some of Cole's troops are still having trouble fighting with wolves."

"But Cole is doing everything he can to back Wendell and the wolves. He's called for a military court martial for that private Wendell sent back. And he told the young man personally that he was lucky it wasn't a royal execution."

"I know. Still, until they settle down, IF they settle down, the trouble makers are more of a hindrance than a help."

"Matilde." Leaf Fall looked down into her lap. "There's something I've always wanted to ask you."

"You look so serious, Child. What is it?"

"When Woodbine and I went into hiding during the Magic War. Did my father, I mean, was he ashamed of me?"

Matilde went at once to Leaf's side and put her arm around her. "Child, your father was never ashamed of you. He loved you very much. I think he would've preferred to have you fight with him at that time. But I think it was also a great comfort to him knowing that you and his granddaughters were safe." Matilde paused for a moment. "Woodbine I don't think he cared so much about."

In spite of the tears in her eyes, Leaf Fall laughed.

Matilde produced a handkerchief from her sash and handed it to her stepdaughter. The truth is he'd be very proud of you. You've taken a major hand in the Council and in this war. No one could doubt that you are the daughter of the elf King Centaurea. And for what it's worth, your mother Elizabeth would have been prouder still."

"Your Highnesses," a voice at the door said. It was the perfectly spiffed-up butler again. He'd managed to float in unnoticed. "Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But the early morning dispatches have arrived from the front for Queen Leaf Fall."

"All right. I'll be there at once."

"Very good," the butler said. And he glided out backwards.

"That man must be part butterfly," Matilde commented. "Or at least part fairy. He floats in and out of rooms and never seems to sleep."

"The castle is short on help because of the war," Leaf Fall explained.

"I know. And it's very loyal of him to stay on in this crisis. I've heard he's very good friends with Lord Rupert."

"Yes, I've heard the same," Leaf Fall said, getting up. "Well, I have my duty."

"Let me know if anything important has happened through the night."

"I will."

After Leaf Fall had gone Matilde walked over to the mirror and placed her hand on it. She rubbed the gold edging where the three slivers had been removed for the talismans the questers were now wearing in the past. The gold in this spot had been combined with certain magic powders to form a soothing balm to the injured mirror. The slivers could never be reconnected. And they could only be destroyed by fire or crushed to dust. Still, their destruction could bring pain to the main mirror. The slivers would probably be kept in some magic box in the castle until or unless they were needed again.

Matilde noticed that the sky outside had just begun to lighten. "Mirror," she said.

She didn't have to explain what she wanted. It knew. It's dark surface began to swirl with gray. Then it cleared to center once again on Tony. He was still sleeping barechested on his wood chip mattress. But his snoring had quieted and he had a little smile on his face. The lightening sky hadn't disturbed him yet.

Matilde looked at him and said, "Oh, Centaurea." She often talked to her deceased husband when she was alone. "What am I getting myself into now?"


	50. Chapter 50

**CHAPTER FIFTY**

**The Education Proclamation**

Tony got up feeling especially rested the next morning. Unfortunately, he also got up a little late. When he came in to breakfast, everyone else had been up for quite a while.

"Good morning, Tony," Scarlet said cheerfully. "Warren was beginning to worry that you wouldn't be up in time to walk him to school."

"Oh, I wouldn't be late for that," Tony said. Little Warren smiled shyly and waved at Tony. Tony of course did the same. He was just about to sit down next to the boy when Virginia and Wolf scooped him up and piloted him toward the door.

"Dad, we need to speak to you," Virginia said. "Won't take a minute."

"But," Tony said. That was all he got to say till they were well outside. "What's the matter with you two?" he finally got to continue. "Couldn't you wait till after breakfast?"

"There might not be time for breakfast," Virginia said, dragging him to the other side of the pine tree outside the house.

"But I'm hungry," Tony said.

"Oh," Wolf growled with exasperation. "Then you should have gotten up earlier like the rest of us."

"I was tired."

"You've been tired the last couple of days," Virginia observed. "You all right?"

"Never felt better," Tony said, patting his chest. "But I'd be a lot less tired if certain people hadn't left me sleeping in front of the house last night. I got rained on, you know."

"Sorry," Virginia said. "You seemed so comfortable we didn't want to disturb you."

"Oh," Wolf growled again. "Will you tell him already? They'll be coming out any minute."

"Right. We just wanted you to know the ring made another prediction last night. Something's going to happen to Warren at school today, but we don't know what exactly. It has something to do with a new rule of some kind. Scarlet's going to get all upset about it and go off to argue with her sister Ruby. I'm supposed to find a way to get her to take my talisman and leave it as a gift with the Queen."

"Maybe I should stick around the school then, till Warren gets out," Tony said. "If something bad happens, he might need me."

Wolf's left eyebrow rose up toward his hairline. He just couldn't get used to Tony's fondness for his younger self. In fact, it irritated him for some reason.

"One other thing you might want to know," Virginia said. "Wolf has been worried about his sister Rose. She's fighting in the war back in the present. So, he asked the ring if she's all right. Well, not only is she all right, but she's been promoted to the rank of major."

"Oh," Tony said, as if in irritation at himself. "I'm so sorry."

Virginia and Wolf looked at each other.

"I didn't know you were worried. I should have told you she was all right. Of course, I didn't know she was a major. Still, if some people took the time to talk to me, I would have remembered to tell you. I also know that the war isn't going all that well in the present. The Second Kingdom has fallen. And just about everybody is involved in the war. Oh, and they're planning on using my cannons. They're just not ready yet." Tony straightened his shirt with pride. "You see. Your old man is still useful."

Virginia and Wolf looked at each other again.

"How do you know all this?" Virginia asked.

"Matilde told me."

"You've been in touch with her?" Wolf asked. "How?"

"In the talisman. At night. I talk to her and she talks back. Well, not in words, actually. She flashes a light. Once for yes, twice for no. I asked her if Rose was all right the second night we were here. Course, I couldn't have found out about her being made a major without doing a lot of guessing. I asked if the war Snow White had talked about had started in earnest and she said yes. Then, I asked if Wendell and the Fourth Kingdom were all right and she said yes. I asked if the other kingdoms were doing all right too. And she said no. So I started through them and she indicated that the Second Kingdom had fallen but the others were O.K. It's a very slow process really, sort of like that old game of twenty questions. It would be a lot easier if she could just talk straight to me. But I guess she can't. The talisman doesn't have the power of speech like your ring."

Virginia and Wolf exchanged yet another look. They both clearly thought he was crazy.

"Tony," Wolf said, "if Matilde flashes messages to you, why doesn't she do the same with us?"

"Yeah," Virginia said. "Like when I was staying alone at Emerald's house?"

"I guess she didn't do it then because your ring could do a better job at comforting you than her flashes of light could. She was watching over you, though. She told me so."

"I thought you said you could only ask her yes and no questions," Wolf said.

"That's true. But I asked her. I always had the feeling she was keeping watch over us at night."

This would have been a good time for Virginia to remember the lullaby the ring had sung to her many times at Emerald's house. She had even sung it herself to Topaz when she was dying. "A fairy queen does watch you sleep," it went, "And will tonight your safety keep." Unfortunately, Virginia didn't think of it. She'd just assumed the ring's song was a generic lullaby. She didn't realize it had been stating a fact.

"And you need watching over right now?" Virginia asked.

"Well, maybe I don't need watching over. But I was lonely."

"Oh!" Wolf said in exasperation. "Why would Queen Matilde, president of the Council of the Nine Kingdoms and Queen of the Eighth Kingdom, want to keep YOU from feeling lonely? You've been imagining things. It was the moon reflecting off your talisman probably."

"No. It's true. She's talked to me every night since we've been here."

"Why would she do that?" Wolf asked.

"Because, well, because maybe she likes me."

Wolf was really exasperated now. "Oh, huff-puff! I can't believe you! Remember you thought the same thing about Emerald too."

"Yeah," Virginia said, "You were definitely wrong there."

"You are not the great lover of the Nine Kingdoms," Wolf said.

Tony hunched his shoulders and looked down at his feet. His scuffed shoes matched the present state of his ego. "Well, I don't know if she likes me in that way. I mean you can only tell so much from a flash of light. But really, she does talk to me."

"You obviously imagined the whole thing," Wolf said dismissively.

"No. Look. I'll show you." Tony picked up his talisman and addressed himself to it. "Matilde. Are you there," he asked.

But there was no answer.

"Matilde?"

Still no answer.

"I guess she's not there right now," Tony said. "But I'll try again later and you'll see."

"Yeah, yeah," Virginia said. "We've got more important things to worry about now." She turned and headed back to the house.

Wolf followed his wife, muttering under his breath. "Terrible things about to happen and HE'S imagining things. Snow White said he was supposed to be the one with the clear head. Humph!"

"But really," Tony said. "She really does talk to me."

The truth was, Matilde had been in the mirror room during this whole conversation. Unfortunately, all the other members of the Council of Truth were there also. Even Cinderella had been wide-awake for this one. They all turned and looked at Matilde as if they were one person. Then they all turned back and faced the mirror again. Leaf Fern alone kept her eyes on Matilde a beat longer. She was remembering how she had found Matilde alone early that morning with the mirror focused on a sleeping Tony Lewis. Suddenly she understood why. But royalty knows how to be discreet. From here on in, they would all simply ignore this topic and the obvious blush that had filled Matilde's face.

After Tony left with Warren for school, Virginia and Wolf tried to settle down, but it was difficult. They stayed in the nursery with the other three children and played with them. Virginia played dolls with little Rose, utilizing the series of wooden stick figures that Scarlet had carved for her. And Wolf concentrated on his little brothers. Since they weren't sure how much more time they had there, Wolf wanted to spend every second of it with them. He was struck by how happy a child Lazar was and how pouty Wilhelm could be. He tried to imagine what kind of adults they became.

Lazar had probably fallen in love with that human girl fully and innocently, never realizing that his feelings for her would cost him his life. Had it been a relative of the girl who'd killed him. Had it been with her consent? How could she not have fallen in love with someone as sweet tempered as redheaded Lazar? And Wilhelm, had he truly been poaching when he'd been killed? Or had those charges been trumped up against him without cause? Something in the young boy reminded Wolf of their grandfather Scythian. So he had no trouble imagining Wilhelm turning into a rebellious adult with a hatred for humans. The poaching charges may have been true or they may have been invented in order to get rid of him as a troublemaker.

What was it like growing up in a caravan? Had the gypsies been kind to them? Wolf had always been a little afraid of gypsies. They seemed so unpredictable and their magic could be dangerous. But at least Lazar and Wilhelm had had each other. That would have been something at least. Wolf would've given anything if he could have gone with them instead of with his foster parents.

Josiah and Scarlet, of course, had no idea of the future before them, so they pursued their normal lives. Josiah was tired from the previous night's activities. He decided to take a nap beneath the same tree Tony had told his tale under shortly before. And Scarlet bustled about in the house tidying. It was a very homey scene. But barely a half-hour went by before little Warren and Tony returned and all that changed.

"What happened," Josiah asked, getting up.

Warren let go of Tony's hand and came running to his father. "They sent me home," the boy said. His little face was dark and full of hurt.

"Why?"

"They said wolves aren't allowed to go to school anymore. They said, we're not capable of learning and that we're just holding back the human children."

Tony nodded. "That's what the teacher told them. Do you believe it? I talked her." That was an understatement. What he actually did was to engage her in a shouting match that he won easily. "She was very nasty. She enjoyed sending him home and insulted him thoroughly before she did. How can they let a woman like that teach?"

At that point, Scarlet appeared at the door with Virginia and Wolf.

"What happened?" Scarlet asked.

Warren repeated what he had already told his father.

"I was told it's a new ruling by the Queen," Tony said. "She's outlawing all teaching of wolves. And you won't be allowed to start your own schools either."

"But how can our children find work when they grow up if they can't read or write or do sums?" Josiah asked. "Poaching is the only way they could survive. But of course, maybe that's what she wants us to do."

"How can a daughter of Red Riding Hood even consider such a ruling?" Scarlet asked angrily. "Country-wide education was one her greatest accomplishments. This goes against everything she stood for. How can Ruby do this?"

"Perhaps we can go to the newly formed Council of the Nine Kingdoms," Josiah suggested.

"Yeah," Tony said, "Matilde will try and do something."

Virginia and Wolf shot him a look.

"No matter what they say, we can teach our children in secret until they undo this," Josiah said.

"You can if you want," Scarlet said. "But I can't stand by while this happens."

"What can you do?" Josiah said, trying to sound reasonable.

"I can go and talk to Ruby while she's still in town. I can get her to undo this ruling."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I have to!"

"Scarlet," Josiah said.

But it was no good. Scarlet was already charging into the house and she slammed the door behind her. Josiah raced after her and did the same.

Little Warren just stood there looking confused and lost. He was at that age when you think everything that happens in the world is your fault. He didn't understand how his mother could get in to see the Queen, much less get her to change this new ruling. But if he'd known his parents were going to be this upset, he wouldn't have come home at all.

Tony saw the boy's face and thought it would be a good idea to get him away from all the emotion and confusion. "Warren," he said. "I heard some frogs singing again down by the creek last night. What do you say we go down and see if any of them are enchanted." So saying, he took the boy's pliant hand and led him away.

"Do you remember any of this," Virginia asked Wolf.

"No. It's a blank. But I do recall not going to school for a while when I first went to live with my foster parents. Then, one day I was sent again. I think the Council of the Nine Kingdoms made Red the Second rescind this order. Which didn't entirely please my foster parents. They thought reading and writing was for humans only. That it was demeaning for a wolf to be seen holding a book."

When Scarlet came marching out of the house, Josiah was not with her. Evidently he had lost the argument. "I'm sorry," Scarlet said to Virginia. "I've just got to go."

"I understand," Virginia said. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No. I'm planning on being mad most of the way into town. Then, after I cool off, I need to work on what I'm going to say to Ruby. After I meet with her, I may be mad again and will need time to cool off. Ruby's got to understand. She's just got to. Maybe she just doesn't remember how important this was to our mother."

"What kind of gift are you to bring her?"

This question caught Scarlet completely off guard. The freckles on her nose bunched up and confusion came into her green eyes. "Gift?"

"Yeah. You know. It's common nowadays to bring a gift when royalty comes to town. It can be your reason for visiting and a peace offering at the same time."

"It's a good idea. But what can I bring her? I don't have anything of value."

"Well." Virginia picked up the sliver of mirror around her neck and held it up for Scarlet to see. "It just so happens that I have this necklace. It's not much but it's supposed to be enchanted." She took the talisman off and handed it to Scarlet. "That tiny piece that shines in the sunlight is part of a magic mirror made by the dwarves of Dragon Mountain."

"What kind of magic mirror?"

"It's from the Mirror of Truth."

"You mean the ancient one that was destroyed so long ago?"

"That's the one," Virginia lied.

"Oh." Scarlet held the talisman reverently in her hands. "That's why the chain looks so old-fashioned. And you each have a piece of this mirror, don't you? We noticed that of course. We thought perhaps it was a family charm."

"You might say that."

"But how can I accept something so precious and leave you without?"

Virginia hung the talisman around Scarlet's neck. "It's more important that you have it. And even more important that you give it to your sister. Don't let her refuse it."

"I don't see how she could. All right. I'll take it. Maybe it's a good omen. How can my sister fail to see the truth when I hand her a piece of the Mirror of Truth itself?"


	51. Chapter 51

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE**

**Sisters**

The woman Scarlet went visiting that day was not the sister Ruby that she remembered from long ago. That foolish little girl who had been in love with clothes and boys was barely even a memory now. As a child Ruby felt eclipsed from her mother's love because she poured all of her energies into attaining Kingdomhood and planning the succession. Ruby's father died when she was so young, that she couldn't recall him at all. And as for Scarlet, Ruby grew up jealous of her because she was so confident and so obviously favored by their mother in their youth.

Scarlet was right. Ruby had worked and schemed to steal Henry from her. But not because she wanted to get over on her sister. Oh, no. She'd fallen madly and completely in love with him. Henry was a tall handsome blond officer in their mother's army. The sound of his laugh could melt her. His smile blazed like the afternoon sun. And when he finally switched from Scarlet to her, she glowed under the endless gifts and flatteries that he heaped on her. Ruby was glad when Scarlet ran off with Josiah. It gave her everything she wanted, the throne, Henry, and her mother's attentions. But all these wonderful things turned into curses, like the proverbial wishes made on a dragon dung bean.

Henry's interest in Ruby cooled almost from the moment they said "I do." Right from the honeymoon, it became obvious that his first love was himself and his second love was the army and his main hobby was women. He immediately stopped being attentive. He went on long excursions with the military, which his mother-in-law placed entirely under his command. And there were long absences that always went unexplained. After her mother's death, things got even worse.

The populace of the Second Kingdom was just as captivated by their new King as Ruby had been before she married him. And then, when the Magic War started and he won victory after brilliant victory and kept the Kingdom safe from Mazarin, his popularity soared even higher. He became the ruling monarch in the eyes of the people. And Ruby became the consort. She even gave birth to little Red the Third in an attempt to bring both her husband and her subjects closer to her. But neither was impressed. Henry became more open about his mistresses and the people cheered him even louder for giving them an heir.

Ruby couldn't divorce Henry because of the overwhelming adoration the people had for him. And she couldn't take a lover because of the double standard that was so prevalent. People winked and smiled when they discussed King Henry's attractiveness to women. But they would have labeled Ruby an evil adulteress for doing the same thing.

So, Ruby had taken another route. She held her daughter close to her, instructing her strictly in the proper demeanor of a queen. She made great inspection tours around the country to get closer to the people she would never get close to. And she took out her anger on the part of the populace that seemed the easiest to attack, the wolves.

In truth, the girl Ruby no longer existed. There was only Queen Red Riding Hood the Second. And she was an extremely bitter and unhappy woman. She was younger than Scarlet and she had lived a life of luxury and ease. Yet, she looked so much older. And the lines on her face had been made by frowns, while Scarlet's had been made by smiles.

When Scarlet arrived to see her sister, she got many disapproving looks at her clothes. But she was escorted directly to the Queen.

"I've been expecting you," the Queen said.

"Ruby!"

Scarlet reached out her hands to her sister, but the Queen turned away with a swish of red silk.

"Don't call me that. I am Queen Red Riding Hood the Second."

"I know. But you are also my sister, Ruby."

"Not anymore."

"Remember how we used to play dress up in mother's ball gowns and how you always toppled over when you tried to wear her riding boots? Remember how angry Nurse Evelyn got when we spied on her and her beaus?"

"No."

Scarlet lowered her head like the supplicant she was. "I guess you're angry with me for not contacting you sooner. I should have done it right after mother's death."

"I would have been perfectly happy never to see you again.

"I don't blame you for being angry. Look. I've brought you a gift." Scarlet took the talisman off her neck. "It's a piece of the ancient Mirror of Truth."

"I don't want it."

"Oh, but nothing should be more important to a queen than truth. I'll leave it here for you." Scarlet placed it carefully on a high table by the open window.

The Queen's green eyes were unmoved and the deep lines in her face unbroken. "I know why you're here. That half-animal son of yours was sent home from school today."

"How did you know I have a son?"

"I was told you have three actually. And a daughter. Or should I say, you have three he-wolves and a she-wolf."

Scarlet's face began to harden. "You can call them whatever you like. They are still my children."

"And how many others does your wolf mate have by other women?"

"Wolves mate for life. I am the only mate my Josiah has."

The Queen gave a sour laugh. "That's what he tells you. Do you really believe it?"

"Of course."

"How naïve! You're even stupider than your offspring."

"Look," Scarlet said, dropping all attempts at being nice. "I don't care what you think of my family. There are a lot of people here who would agree with you."

"I know. The mayor told me how unhappy they are about having you and your brood of animals so close to the town limits. They know their livestock and children would be much safer if you were gone."

"Too bad. I'm not leaving."

The Queen looked at Scarlet in disgust. "You're a disgrace to the House of Red, do you know that?"

"The House of Red?" Scarlet laughed. "Is that what you're calling our family now? Fine. You can give it all the great names you want. But you're the one who's disgracing it. How can you undo mother's ruling on education?"

"It was a stupid ruling. I am Queen now. I make the laws."

"I see." Scarlet tapped the sole of her soft boot on the ground. "Well, you also agreed to be part of the ruling body of the Council of the Nine Kingdoms. Did you not? You signed their charter, which I believe covers this issue. How are you going to explain this change to them?"

Flames of anger started rising to the Queen's forehead. Even the spit curls so meticulously fashioned there couldn't cover it. "I am Queen here!" she shouted. "I signed that charter to give us protection in war. Otherwise I will do what I want. You are nothing but a subject, a peasant in peasant clothes who lives with animals. I don't even know why I'm talking to you. Get out of here!"

Scarlet stood her ground and raised herself up to her full height. It was clear now where her heritage lay. She had the royal bearing, the pride, and the authority. Queen Red the Second looked at her sister and knew that if Scarlet had been the one who had taken the throne, she would have been a great queen. Perhaps even greater than their mother. No one would have overlooked her. No man would have been allowed to wrong her. And whatever the populace thought of her personally, they would have given her their unquestioning respect. No one looking at Scarlet could doubt whose daughter she was.

"I am STILL Queen Red Riding Hood's daughter. And though I abdicated the throne to you, I am deserving of your respect. My children are also deserving of your respect. And if you do not reverse this ruling at once, you will leave me no choice. I will go to the Council of the Nine Kingdoms. And I will announce to them who I am and claim succession rights for my children."

The Queen's mouth opened in horror. "No! My daughter. She has the right of succession. She MUST be queen!"

By this, Scarlet knew her sister's weakness. "Fine. I don't particularly want my children in line for succession. I didn't like what the obsession for power did to our mother. And I don't like what it's done to you. I don't want my children tainted by it. If you reverse your ruling today, this conversation will remain between us. Your daughter will have no opposition for the throne. And no one will even know we exist."

The Queen's eyes narrowed. "You haven't told anyone here who you are, have you? The mayor didn't seem to know."

"No. I left that life behind me. Even my children don't know who they are."

The Queen turned away and said, "Very well. It seems you leave me no choice. I must surrender to your blackmail."

"Good."

"But it is late in the day now. I will send the notice out to rescind my order this evening. You can send your child to school tomorrow as usual. But understand that I never want to see you again."

"Believe me. Nothing would please me more." And with that, Scarlet left.

As soon as her sister was gone, the Queen crossed to the talisman and picked it up. With a scream of rage, she threw it against the wall. But it didn't break. For it could only be crushed by tremendous strength or burned. The Queen didn't notice as the sliver turned itself subtly over so that it could view her more clearly.

"Your Majesty!" her lady-in-waiting called as she rushed in. "Are you all right."

"No," the Queen said. "Bring in the Princess at once. And send for that fool of a mayor."

"Of course, your Majesty!"

The child who would one day be Red Riding Hood the Third walked into the room on the hand of her nurse.

"Little Girl," the Queen said, for she always called her that. She'd never given the child a proper name. Everyone else called her "Princess" or "Your Majesty" or "Your Grace." It would be sometime before Leaf Fall would call her "Red." "Come here," the Queen ordered.

Red the Third came at once to her mother, holding her head up high as she'd been taught to. This was hard because she was already being forced to wear heels and she sometimes tripped on her shoes or her long red gown.

The Queen picked up her daughter and sat her on the table where the talisman had lain just moments before. "Now. What is the most important thing in the world?" she asked.

"To be queen," the four-year-old answered at once.

"Good. Being Queen is the best thing in the world. Don't share it with anyone! And what do you do with anyone who threatens your power?"

"Cut them down!" the child said energetically.

"Excellent!" The Queen patted the Princess's hand approvingly. "You just remember that, Little Girl. And no one will overlook you. Or cheat on you. Or try and black mail you. And remember about men. Don't trust them and don't allow ANY of them to be king over you."

"No, your Majesty," the child answered.

"Good."

"Excuse me," the lady-in-waiting said. She had been waiting in the doorway for an opportune moment to speak.

"Yes."

"The mayor is here as you requested."

"Nurse," the Queen said, beckoning to her daughter's main caretaker. "Take the Princess to her room and tidy these ruffles. They look bedraggled."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Now you can bring in that fatuous mayor," the Queen said.

The mayor came in bowing and scraping all the way. His hair was slicked back again and he stank of cheap hair oil. "Oh, yes, your Majesty," he said as he bobbed. "And may I say how lovely you look today."

"Thank you."

"So, what can I do for you, your Majesty? Have you changed your mind about attending that little entertainment tonight in the town square?"

"No. I have an important matter of state to discuss with you."

"Indeed your Majesty?" The mayor looked at her with the eager eyes and panting mouth of a hungry animal.

"You remember that aberrant wolf-woman we were talking about yesterday?"

"Oh, yes, your Majesty."

"She was just here."

"No!"

"And she threatened me."

"No, no!! I will gather some of the men together and we will have her arrested and sent to the King immediately."

"We could do that, of course. But I really don't want to involve King Henry or make it public knowledge that I was threatened. If that happened, the King might insist on my discontinuing these little inspection trips."

"For your own safety, yes."

"He'd prefer it if I stayed cloistered up in the castle and never came out. Then I would be out of the way and not stealing his ovations. And he wouldn't have to work so hard at hiding his mistresses from me."

"Your Majesty?" the mayor said.

"Well, I can't bear that. I don't want to be a prisoner in my own castle. So I want you to deal with this problem quietly."

"Of course, your Majesty. How?"

"You said the head of your night guards was a trusty and loyal subject. And you said these local wolves don't know their place anymore. Well, from the way this woman acted today, I'm sure she and her brood are quite dangerous. The only way to guarantee the safety of your people is to get rid of them."

The mayor's eyes became crafty. He knew he was being asked to do something very questionable. Guile and graft had gotten him into his job and he figured graft was something he could get plenty of from a queen. "How do you propose we do that?"

"Can you get one of your local herdsmen to claim that some of his lambs were slaughtered by this particular family of wolves?"

The mayor thought. "No. There are only two herders around here. One handles sheep, the other goats. Neither of them likes wolves. But, unfortunately, both of them are honest."

"Then you'll have to get someone to make it look as if there had been a wolf attack and claim to have been a witness to it."

"I can do that," the mayor said nodding. There was local man who handled most of his underhanded work. He could be relied on to kill a few spring lambs and do some lying. "But if I do this, what do I get out of it?"

"I beg your pardon," the Queen said drawing herself up.

"I said, what do I get out of it. The price of silence is often high."

The Queen's green eyes became filled with fury. For the second time today she was being black mailed. "And what is your price?" she asked, trying to keep her hands from shaking.

"An assignment at court."

The Queen relaxed. "Excellent!" she said. Once she got him to the castle it would be easy to trump up an offense against him and hold him for questioning in the dungeon. Once in the dungeon, he could merely be forgotten. "I could use a man like you at court. Consider it done."

"Then you may consider that other little matter done, your Majesty."


	52. Chapter 52

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

**Apologies**

Demetrius had been fighting at the border of the Fourth Kingdom for two days now and his help had made things a lot easier. This unusual member of the giants had a short curly beard the color of light coffee and a rather Zen approach to life. Basically, he left the world above the beanstalks because he was disgusted with his fellow giants. He wanted to live alone and meditate. Of course, that was easy to do in the frozen north because the winters were so long and neighbors were a rarity. Matilde was the only visitor he ever got. Since he'd chosen her kingdom to settle in, she'd made it her business to get to know him. But mind you, she didn't interfere with his austere lifestyle. She just checked in on him from time to time.

On the morning Demetrius came to join the fight, he wore no armor and carried no weapon except for a long pole. During the night before, the trolls had started to move into the Fourth Kingdom. Burly had told Spider that if he pushed hard enough they would make serious headway during the day's fighting.

So, Spider strode confidently onto the battleground. He was in a mood to stomp and squish. Instead of knocking the wolves out of the way that day, he thought he would try and crush them underfoot. It might take some doing because they moved so fast. But it would be fun to see them rush out of his way. He had no doubt that Burly would yell at him for playing around too much. But what did he care what the little troll wanted?

As he approached the lines of the Fourth Kingdom, however, no humans or wolves stepped forward. And no elves flew down on him from the air. He wondered why for a moment. Then he heard the thundering footsteps of another giant. Spider looked behind him, thinking it was Hoban the blond bearded giant, coming to join him. But there was no one there except for Burly and his troops. They all gestured for him to turn around. When he did, he saw Demetrius step out from behind a blind of hundred foot white pines, his pole in his hand.

Spider had to shake his head and squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was Demetrius, clad in what looked like a brown wool jumpsuit and vest.

"Fee, fi, fo, fum!" Demetrius laughed. "Spider, today you look so glum. Have you no remark for an old friend? No? Then how about a little sport?" And with that he stepped forward with his pole raised.

The trolls and Wendell's forces, all stepped back. No one in their right mind wanted to be caught in the midst of two battling giants.

Spider decided to do the bravado thing. He hunched over and growled ferociously, grinding his teeth and swinging his battle-ax.

Demetrius laughed. "Is that the best you've got? Come. I don't have time for theatre."

Spider came forward swinging wildly. But Demetrius made no move until he was almost upon him. Then he blocked the swing of his opponent's battle-ax with one end of his pole and knocked him off-balance with the other. Spider didn't fall. But he learned to attempt less obvious blows.

By the end of the day, Demetrius had pushed back the enemy lines somewhat, but he couldn't reclaim all the lost territory. Still, by occupying Spider, Wendell's troops only had to worry about Burly's small group of trolls. Wendell was able to send additional forces south to Major Burke to fight Hoban the blond giant. And his night troops were able to get a well-deserved rest.

Wendell had looked for Rose on the morning Demetrius joined them. But when he didn't see her, he didn't worry. He merely sent her word through one of the other wolves that the night troops could go off duty while their new giant ally was on. He thought she might try and seek him out during the day. But when she didn't, he figured she was just taking his advice about getting some much-needed rest. Then night came and he looked for her again. Still he didn't find her. When Demetrius started his second day on the job and she was still not in sight, Wendell began to see what was going on. She was avoiding him. Rose had said she was very aware of his scent. No doubt she could smell him coming and nip off before he saw her. He didn't know why she was avoiding him. But confound it, he was her King. If he wanted her to come to him, then she would come. He would command it.

At lunchtime, he gave the order to his aide to notify every wolf within site that they should find Major Rose and tell her to come to him at once. "Tell her it's an order," Wendell told his aide. "No excuses!"

"Yes, your Majesty," the aide said. And off he went, wondering what had suddenly made the King so disgruntled with the Major. They usually got along so well.

Of course, the wolves didn't have any trouble finding Rose. In fact several of them did. And they all gave her the same message. And she was irritated at every single one of them for bringing it.

When Rose finally appeared in the sunny clearing where Wendell was waiting, it just so happened that he was giving battle instructions to his aide. Wendell's blue eyes touched on her quickly. But he didn't acknowledge her. He saw that she was breathing heavily with aggravation and he thought he was entitled to a little aggravation too.

The King handed his aide the map they'd been discussing and said, "Bring this to Captain Gates." He was one of Cole's better Captains, a man Wendell thought he could trust. "Tell him this is the attack plan I want him to follow. If he has any questions, he can come see me."

"Yes, your Majesty," the aide said. And he started away. As he passed Rose he saw how brightly her green eyes were blazing. Usually he would have given her some pleasantry. But the expression on her face made him afraid to say anything.

Wendell drew himself up coolly and put his hands properly at his back. "Rose, it seems like you've been avoiding me. Is that true?"

Rose preferred to look at the brown grass at her feet rather than at him. She couldn't lie. So she decided to say nothing.

"Do you want to tell me why?"

Still she gave no answer.

"Well, then. I shall speak first. About the other night. I just want to apologize."

"You don't have to," Rose said, sharply.

"But I do."

"Look," she said, shifting impatiently. "This is what I was trying to avoid. I've had enough of these speeches. I know exactly what comes next."

"You do?" Wendell said, looking puzzled.

"Oh, yes. You're going to tell me how very nice and attractive I am. Unfortunately, you can't get involved with me because of what I am. You're going to say, that you got carried away the other night and didn't mean to. So, please, spare me the speech because this one will hurt!" With that she turned and started marching away.

"Major!" Wendell shouted. But she didn't stop. "Major!" he repeated, "I COMMAND you to stop at once!"

Rose growled to a stop, but kept her back to him.

"Now," he said, in a calm voice as he walked up to her. "You've had your say, I will have mine. What happened the other night, was not an accident. I meant it to happen. And I would have made that clear to you if the blasted war hadn't intervened."

Rose looked up from the ground.

"What I wanted to apologize for," he continued, "is the unforgivable way I've treated you. If nothing else, those boorish men of King Cole's made it quite obvious. During this time we've served together, I've gone beyond thinking that you're all those surface things you mentioned. I've come to see you as noble, brave, and loyal against all odds. Do you know I was attracted to you from the first day you began visiting the castle looking for Wolf?"

Rose shook her head softly and Wendell gently brushed back a lock of hair that had strayed too far into her face.

"I just happened to see you from my study window. And I watched for you every day after that. When I saw you talk to Wolf, I had to come and find out who you were. You're right. I was exactly like those other men who gave you that speech. I acted like a cad. Pretending I felt nothing for you, even urging you to leave here. But I was wrong. Very wrong. Can you forgive me for being such a fool? Because, you see, I've fallen rather madly and irrevocably in love you."

"Oh," Rose said. "I love you too." And she threw her arms around his neck.

Wendell pulled her close and kissed her the way he'd wanted to the night before. He felt lost in the softness of her body and the woodsy smell of her hair and the delicious taste of her mouth. When his aide approached with Captain Gates, the aide had to clear his throat several times to make himself heard. But this time Wendell had no intention of letting the war interfere. He held up one hand and waved them away. Then, he continued kissing his ladylove.

"Well," the aide said as he led Captain Gates away, "I guess they worked out their differences."


	53. Chapter 53

**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

**Execution Plans**

Red Riding Hood the Third had survived the torture of the trolls as well as could be expected. But Burly was very disappointed that she had no secrets to give them because she'd never involved herself much with the Council of the Nine Kingdoms. Her personal fortune had been confiscated and all her jewels and leather goods. But her clothes weren't of any interest to the trolls. After all, red is not what you'd call a troll color.

The former queen was now a broken woman. Everything that had held her life together was gone. And her body was weak from the torture and lack of food and water. If not for the presence of her faithful secretary, she would have willed herself to die.

Ichabod sat near the edge of his cell encouraging her to go on for his sake and the sake of the whole kingdom. "When this war is done," he said, "people will need to see you back on the throne, leading them in the healing of our country."

"But I need to heal myself," she croaked in a whisper.

"You will. And your people will see that. It will give them strength to do their own healing. Your Majesty, they need you to go on. You must not give up."

"I would if not for you," Red said. She was curled up against the bars of her cage. Her beautiful red hair now dangled dully around her shoulders. Her dress was in tatters. She imagined that she looked worse than Cinderella ever did in the rags her stepmother forced her to wear. "Where do you find your strength?" she asked.

"From you, your Majesty," he said simply. "The rest of the kingdom will need to do the same."

At that point they heard the rattling of keys and the sound of troll voices. The troll with the tall lace boots and long knotted hair was back with an associate. "Well," the booted troll said. "And how is your Majesty feeling today? Good? Glad to hear it. You need to be in good shape for tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Ichabod asked.

"Tomorrow Prince Burly is having an afternoon barbecue and the Queen here is the guest of honor. Everyone from miles around is coming."

Ichabod's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

The troll swaggered over to Ichabod's cell. "I mean, we're gonna roast your lady friend here."

"No!"

"And when she's gone, Prince Burly will officially announce himself as King of the troll nation."

"No! Don't listen to him, your Majesty!" Ichabod called. "It won't happen."

"Oh, but it will. And since you're full of energy, you'll be of use to us. We need a lot of fire wood, you know." The troll unlocked the door of Ichabod's cell and motioned for his aide to take him. Ichabod struggled, but he didn't have much strength.

"No!" Ichabod called as they led him away. "Don't worry your Majesty. I won't let them do it!"

Red watched him go, reaching feebly through the bars to touch him as he passed. She came within an inch of his torn shirtsleeve, but could get no farther.

The booted troll and his partner brought Ichabod to the woods in front of the castle. Many of the local townspeople were already there. They were being forced to gather wood and pile it in the square in front of the castle around a great stake. A troop of armed trolls were overseeing the work.

The trolls released Ichabod and stood back to watch the fun. He immediately began urging his fellow countrymen to rise up against their oppressors and save the Queen. "We've got to refuse to do this," he urged them. "Even at the cost of our own lives."

But the townspeople turned away. Most of them wouldn't even speak to him.

"The trolls have won," one of them said, "Why fight it?"

"Why?" Ichabod asked incredulously. "Because she's our Queen."

"Look," one young woman whispered, "The Queen's all right and all. But we're trying to survive here."

"Yeah," someone else said, "we've had enough fighting."

Ichabod couldn't believe his ears. And the trolls were enjoying it. Beating down your opponents till they had no fight left was the best part of going to war as far as the troll were concerned.

"Hey, Hero!" the booted troll laughed. "What'sa matter? Nobody wants to help you?"

The trolls laughed some more. Then they made Ichabod join the supervised gangs as they traveled back and forth into the woods.

Ichabod was disappointed, but not beaten. He made a plan for himself. Sometime after nightfall, he saw his chance and he made a break for it. The full moon was two days away, but even so the woods of the Second Kingdom were easily deep enough with their evergreens and bare sugar maples to shield someone as thin as Ichabod. The trouble would be in crossing from the Second Kingdom into the Fourth. He would have to pass through the battle lines of the trolls. And that would be dangerous.


	54. Chapter 54

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

**The Third Crime**

Josiah spent the afternoon with Virginia and Wolf watching the children. However it was clear Josiah's mind was elsewhere. Baby Lazar climbed over his back and sucked on his tail, but received only a lick or two in response. Wolf wasn't much better. He sat in the chair by the window and stared out as if in some deep trance. An occasional sniff at the air was the only sign of awareness from him.

Virginia decided it was up to her to entertain the children. Rose said she wanted a story. So, Virginia told them the one about Cinderella. Of the best known stories in the Nine Kingdoms, this one seemed the least fraught with bad feelings. Red Riding Hood and Snow White were too personally close. And Virginia didn't remember the specifics about Hansel and Gretel.

Cinderella, though, turned out to be the right choice. Rose enjoyed it immensely. She sat next to her younger brother Wilhelm, absolutely entranced. Wilhelm was in a bad mood as usual. But he soon fell asleep on the floor.

"So, the prince married Cinderella even though she was a commoner?" Rose asked breathlessly at the end.

"Yes, he did," Virginia said. "He married her because he loved her."

"What other stories do you know? How about Sleeping Beauty?"

"That's a good one. Yes, I know that." And so Virginia went on. She figured she'd go to Rapunzel next if she had to. Hopefully she wouldn't have to go past that.

Tony was still down by the creek enjoying his outing with young Warren. Like most boys, Warren loved squiggly slimy things and the creek bed had no shortage of them. They caught a green garter snake and let it slither over their hands. And then they watched tad poles swimming. Warren even managed to catch a few. It wasn't exactly what Tony had in mind for lunch. But he figured people ate frogs legs, so why not?

In the later part of the afternoon, they sat under a tree at the edge of the water and took a nap in the cool shade. Warren took off his shoes and trailed his feet in the water as he slept, leaning the rest of his body against Tony.

Once again, Tony had to remind himself that this sweet lad was a younger version of his full-grown son-in-law. There were similarities between them, yes. But there were a lot of differences too. What had the boy suffered between this time and the time he would become a man that would make him so hyper and nervous? What had his two wolf foster parents and the wolf hating populace of the Nine Kingdoms done to him? More than anything Warren just seemed to want to be loved and accepted.

Tony picked up his talisman and looked into it. He wanted very much to talk to Matilde right then. But even if she was there, he didn't want to disturb little Warren. The boy's whole world was about to fall apart. He deserved as much peace as he could get.

When Scarlet finally returned, Virginia, Wolf, and Josiah were all waiting outside for her. Tony and Warren still weren't back. And the other children had fallen asleep and been put to bed by Virginia.

"What happened?" Josiah asked, getting up. "You were gone for such a long time."

"She gave in," Scarlet answered. "I threatened her a little and she's going to rescind the order at once. We can send Warren to school tomorrow."

"That's wonderful!" Josiah said.

"I stopped on the way home to give the news to a couple of other sets of wolf parents. I didn't tell them how I knew, of course. I just told them that I'd heard the Queen was rescinding the order and that we could send our children to school tomorrow. We should celebrate. We still have a little of that dried venison that Virginia and Wolf brought. I think we should finish it. Then, there's a little porridge leftover from breakfast."

"Wonderful! Tomorrow Wolf and I can go fishing again to get dinner. Right, Wolf?"

Wolf nodded and gave Josiah a half smile.

"Good, Josiah," said. And he and his wife went inside.

Wolf started pacing nervously back and forth, scratching his head with every turn. "That's not what happened," he told Virginia. "That order didn't get rescinded over night. It's going to happen soon. I know it. Why do we have to stay here?"

"Wolf!" Virginia said, taking his arm. "Calm down. You don't remember exactly when your parents died. And we don't know for sure that this school thing has anything to do with it directly."

"Of course we do!" He pulled out of Virginia's grasp and continued pacing, interspersing little growls as he went. "The ring told you to give your talisman to my mother so she could leave it with the Queen. So there must have been something important in their conversation and whatever happened afterward. The Queen must be planning something. Huff-puff, that's it! She must be planning something. And we've got to warn them. We can't just let them die!"

"Wolf!" Virginia latched onto his arm again and pulled him hard behind the pine tree. "You've got to get a hold of yourself. We can't change anything here, you know that. I tried to help Topaz, but it didn't do any good. I know what you're feeling."

"No you don't!" Wolf's eyes flashed bright yellow. "I've got to do something."

Josiah came out at that point with a blanket. He threw it on the ground in front of the pine tree and said, "Scarlet thinks we should have another picnic outside. The children are all still asleep and she plans to feed them later." He spread the blanket out, using his snout and paws. "Oh, and Virginia, Scarlet says she has some money to return to you from the pelts you gave her."

Virginia stepped out from behind the tree. She smoothed her dress and tried to act as casual as possible under the circumstances. "You don't have to do that. You should keep it."

"No. We'll be all right. The fish run pretty well in the spring. Wolf can tell you that. And there's money coming in from the dress that Scarlet's making for Mrs. Palma. You may need the money yourselves."

Scarlet came out with a load of plates in her arms. "The bread you brought is hard now," she said to Virginia. "But I can make bread pudding out of it tomorrow. We'll add herbs to it and it'll be perfect."

"You've got to leave!" Wolf said, jumping out from behind the tree. His eyes were a wild yellow and his hair disheveled.

"What?" Scarlet said, stepping back.

"Your sister Ruby isn't going to rescind that school order like she said. Instead she's going to send a bunch of farmers after you and they're going to say you were poaching."

"Wolf!" Virginia warned.

"How do you know this?" Josiah asked.

"Because, I'm a seer. I have the ability to see into the future sometimes. And I see great danger for you and your family. You've got to go away, right now."

Scarlet and Josiah exchanged looks.

"It's not that we don't believe you," Josiah said. After all, they lived in the Nine Kingdoms where magic and seers were common. "But the little ones are asleep and Warren's not back with Tony yet."

"Then leave as soon as they get back!" Wolf shouted.

"Wolf, please," Virginia said. "You're frightening them."

"Better me than that crowd that's coming here, with their torches and ropes."

"What's going on here?" Tony asked, following Warren around the corner of the house. "What's all the shouting?"

"Wolf's had a premonition," Virginia said, trying to sound calm. "He's told Scarlet and Josiah that the Queen is plotting against them."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Did he?"

"Are his predictions usually true?" Josiah asked.

Tony's answer was more emotional than sensible. He knew trying to change history probably wouldn't work. But it was better than just standing by and letting it happen. "Yes," he said. "They're always true. You should do exactly what he tells you."

Virginia looked from her father to her husband. It was clear they'd both gone crazy.

"You've got to go now!" Wolf commanded. They'll be here soon, before nightfall."

"But how can we go with four little children?" Josiah asked. "They can't outrun a pack of humans."

"You can't just sit here and wait for them!" Wolf said.

"Maybe if they just found Scarlet and I. Maybe that would satisfy them. You three could take the children and run toward the river. Wolf, you know the way."

"But what about you?" Wolf asked.

"We don't have a chance of getting away with the children," Josiah said. "We couldn't move fast enough. They'd just storm the woods and find us. But maybe at least we can save the children."

"It's worth a try," Tony said.

"But what about you?" Wolf insisted.

Scarlet took Wolf's hand tenderly in her own. "We're touched that you're so concerned for us. But the children come first."

"Wolf," Tony said. "They're right. This is our best shot. Let's at least try and save the children."

Wolf's eyes filled with tears as he squeezed his mother's hand. "Yes," he said. "At least we can try."

The five adults immediately went to work packing up the four children. But before they could finish, Wolf and Josiah smelled the scent of the torches and the mass of sweating humans approaching, hungering for blood.

"They're coming!" Wolf yelled. "Grab the children and run."

"No," Scarlet said. She could hear the crowd yelling and crashing through the underbrush already. "There isn't time. Josiah and I will stand forward and meet them. You hide the children in the house."

Tony and Virginia herded the four children into the nursery, determined to shield them from what was to come. But Wolf couldn't tear himself away from the scene in front of the house. He stood at the door's entrance, watching as though in a trance.

It was at this point that Virginia's ring started to sing and vibrate.

"And now it's time for you to go," it sang.

"You've shown them all they need to know."

But Virginia didn't hear its little voice or notice its vibrating. She was lost in the chaos that was now developing around them.

The angry mob of farmers and townspeople swarmed quickly around the house, surrounding their prey on all sides. At the head of the crowd was the mayor's henchman, a disreputable fellow named Hannibal who always seemed to have more money than his non-working lifestyle should have been able to amass. People didn't trust him generally. But it didn't occur to them to question his story in this case because it involved wolves and a small flock of six lambs. A rancher named Bibek who'd owned the lambs was on one side of Hannibal and the young shepherdess named Aida who'd found their bloodied and butchered carcasses was on the other.

"That's them!" Hannibal trumpeted. "I saw them."

The crowd surrounded Scarlet and Josiah so they couldn't escape.

"That wolf there killed the lambs," Hannibal continued, pointing dramatically. "And then she moved in with this great big knife and butchered them. I would have done something but I was afraid they'd attack me too. It's a good thing this little shepherdess wasn't around. They'd have killed her or worse. You know how wolves are."

The crowd yelled in the affirmative. They all knew about the bloodthirsty nature of wolves.

"Burn them!" one man shouted.

"Kill the animals!" screamed someone else.

"But we didn't do anything?" Josiah said. "We have no lamb meat here. And no blood on our clothes."

"They ate it already!" Hannibal announced. "I saw them eating as they cut. And they burned their clothes to cover what they did."

"Burn them!" a woman screamed.

"Kill the dirty animals!" the crowd agreed. And they took hold of Scarlet and Josiah and tied ropes around their necks and bound their limbs together.

At this point, Wolf could take no more. He leapt on the crowd and fought back as his parents would not. "No!" he yelled. But of course, he was badly outnumbered. A group of men quickly surrounded him and hit him to the ground. As he went down, the crowd turned its attention to Scarlet and Josiah. They led them down the path and away from the house.

"Daddy!" Virginia screamed. "They're attacking Wolf!"

Tony ran outside and threw himself into the center of the men who were assaulting Wolf. "Ho! Wait a minute!" Tony yelled with authority. "Do you have any idea who you're beating up here!"

"Yeah, it's a dirty wolf-lover."

Tony glanced down quickly at his son-in-law's crumpled unconscious form. Good. His tail wasn't out so they didn't know he was half-wolf. Tony picked himself up to his full height and mustered all the bravado he could. "This young man here is a close personal friend of Queen Matilde. You all know who she is, don't you?"

"Of course," one of the men said. It was just after the Magic War and Matilde's name carried a lot of recognition. She was one of the few to survive the final battle with Mazarin the Evil Wizard.

Tony remembered there had been a war and that Matilde had been involved in it. But he didn't remember the details. Happily, in this case, he didn't need to. "Well, Queen Matilde sent us here personally on a fact finding mission. She wants to know the effect the last war had on the people of the Second Kingdom. The new Council of the Nine Kingdoms is considering sending aid to people like you."

"What's that?" one of then men asked looking puzzled.

"You don't what aid is? It means the Council is considering sending money to people like you, to help you make a new start and rebuild things."

"Oh," said one of the men. He seemed to like that idea.

"We've been traveling undercover," Tony explained, "Queen Matilde doesn't want anybody giving us special treatment. She wanted to know exactly how things are here. But if she finds out that one of her men has been hurt. Well, I don't think she'll be sending you any money."

"Oh," said the same man.

"So, why don't you all go on and be about your business. Then I won't have to report this to Queen Matilde."

There were a couple of confused grumbles. But the men took Tony's advice and started off in the direction in which the crowd had taken Scarlet and Josiah a few minutes before. There was still a crowd in the yard, but it was a different group of people. The bloodthirsty throng had gone. And the scavengers were just getting started. They poured into and around the house, taking anything of value.

Virginia had been standing watch at the door. Warren and Rose were on either side of her, Rose clinging tightly to her skirts. The youngest boys were still in the nursery. They seemed safer in there. Virginia didn't try to stop the people who stripped the house of its contents. The herd instinct had taken over and she knew that to interfere would be dangerous. As soon as the men who'd been attacking her husband walked off, she ran to him. His face was bruised and battered. But he was breathing and starting to come around.

"What?" Wolf said, groggily.

"You almost got yourself killed," Tony said angrily. "Did you see how outnumbered you were."

"I didn't care," Wolf mumbled.

"No, evidently."

"Wait a minute," Virginia said, looking up. "Where's Warren?" She got to her feet and started calling his name. "Warren! Warren, where are you?"

"He went down the road to follow his parents," Wolf said weakly.

"You saw him?"

"No. I remember. Those wolves are going to catch him when he runs through the underbrush. We've got to stop them." Wolf tried to get up but Tony knocked him back down.

"You're not going anywhere," Tony ordered. "Seeing you knocked around by that bunch of degenerates did it for me. They would have killed you here or dragged you to that bonfire they're planning for Scarlet and Josiah. We tried to stop this and it didn't work. 'What has been done, cannot be undone.' That's what Snow White said. But we can get caught up in everything and die here. Is that what you want? For you? For your child?"

"But I've got to stop them."

Wolf tried to get up once more, but Tony pushed him down again.

"You don't understand," Wolf said, starting to cry.

"You think I don't care?" Tony yelled. "You think I wouldn't go right now and fight off those two wolves with my bare hands if I thought it would do any good? You think this isn't breaking my heart? You think I wanted to see your parents dragged off like that? Being here and not being able to do anything STINKS!"

The crowd around them was buzzing loudly. Two women were fighting over the little kitchen table. Someone else was carrying off clothing. Another took blankets. A man in a green vest had the nursery chair hiked up over his head. There was clattering as things were grabbed and dropped and then grabbed up again. There were cries of "That's mine!" and "Get out of my way!"

Rose looked up from the folds of Virginia's skirt and surveyed the terrifying vision. To a tiny one like her, it was as if a land filled with giants had gone mad.

In the growing gloom, a new group had joined the scavengers. They were attired in bright reds and golds with multicolored scarves. Their faces were darker than some of the others, and their expressions more shrewd. There was one man carrying a mattress and another with some pots and pans. Behind them followed two women carrying Lazar and Wilhelm. The little boys looked confused, but placid as they were carried off to their new lives.

"The gypsies! They've got my brothers," Wolf said, trying to get up again. "I've got to stop them."

"No!" Tony said, tackling him to the ground again.

"Please!" Wolf cried pitifully.

"You've got to let them go," Tony said. "As hard as it is."

Virginia was crying freely now. She hated seeing the boys carried off like they were part of a yard sale. There were so many people bustling about and so little humanity.

Suddenly a gentle voice spoke. "You're a friend of Scarlet's, aren't you?"

Virginia looked up through her tears to see a graying matron in a purple dress. Tony let go of Wolf and stood up respectfully.

"I'm Mrs. Palma," the woman said. "Scarlet worked for me sometimes."

"Yes," Virginia said wiping her face with her hands. "She mentioned you."

"I saw you with Lydia and Scarlet the day the Queen came to town. But there was such a crowd, I didn't get to meet you. I tried to stop this, really I did. No one would listen to me. It was like insanity had struck. I just came to see if there was anything I could do for the children."

"All of them are gone, except Rose," Virginia said.

"I see. I thought if I found any of them, I would bring them to Scarlet's friend Lydia. But I guess you'll be taking care of Rose."

"No!" Wolf said, pulling himself off the ground. "You take her. Take her to Lydia. She'll be safe there."

"If you really want me to."

"Yes," Wolf said. "Just let me say good-bye." He took his frightened sister's hand and pulled her away from Virginia. She was trembling as he hugged her. "We'll met again," he said. "And you'll be all right with Lydia and Goffrey. I promise."

Rose's eyes were wide with fear as Mrs. Palma led her away. And Wolf's were full of tears.

By that time the scavengers had picked the house clean. There was nothing left.

"Burn it!" one of the men said. "Burn it to the ground."

So several of them set their torches to the roof and the lean-to, while others threw piles of firewood and pine needles inside the house and did the same. It had been a dry spring and it didn't take long to catch.

As the flames rose up, Wolf watched them hypnotically. "They've got to see," he said, as though in a dream. "They've got to see."

Virginia wrapped her arms around herself. Somehow the flames made her feel cold.

Suddenly, Tony felt a stab of pain. He looked down and saw that the sleeve of his shirt had caught a spark from the burning house. "I'm on fire!" he yelled, waving his arm.

It wasn't a serious blaze. It took only seconds for Virginia to pat it out with her skirt. And there was no trace of a burn on Tony's skin.

"You're lucky," Virginia said. "Maybe we should get away from here."

"That's exactly what we should do!" Tony agreed. "I just remembered. You ring hasn't done any singing has it?"

"What? During this?"

"Snow White said that when it was time to leave the ring would let us know, but if we didn't hear it, something else would happen to get my attention. She said, 'You will know it's time to leave, when the flame does touch your sleeve.' That means it's time to go. Now. Before anything else happens."

Virginia turned around to get her husband's input. But he wasn't there. "Wolf?" she said. "Where's Wolf?"


	55. Chapter 55

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE**

**Funeral Pyre**

"Where did he go?" Virginia asked. He was here a minute ago. Wolf! Wolf!"

"Now don't panic," Tony said. "Maybe he's still around the house. You go that way and I'll go this way. We'll circle it once."

And so they did. But Wolf was still no where to be seen.

"All right," Tony said. "He must have gone off to the place where they burned his parents."

"But we don't know where that is!" Virginia said. She was starting to get hysterical with visions of Wolf burning along side of Scarlet and Josiah. Virginia ran her hand over her swollen stomach and wished it would all go away.

"Now, think a minute," Tony said. "I'm sure they wouldn't go all the way back to town. That's too far. So what other central community type place would they use?"

Virginia shook her head. She was too upset too think.

"The school. They must have taken them to the school. I know where it is. I'll run ahead and try and find him. The moon is coming up now, so it shouldn't be hard to find the way. Take the first two lefts off the main path."

"Hurry," Virginia said.

And Tony took off.

Running to the school wasn't easy for Tony. After all, he wasn't young any more. But he figured the sprint would do less damage to him than to his pregnant daughter. And if anything happened to Wolf, he'd still have time to double back and keep her from seeing anything. After he made the second left on the path, he saw a glow up ahead. The school area was lit with dozens of torches, their light writhing through the trees like strange mangled creatures. He paused to catch his breath and then pushed on.

When he reached the clearing, he saw a multitude of angry people buzzing around a pair of stakes surrounded by piles of wood. There was shouting and screaming and even cheering, as the fire was set around the intended victims.

Tony ran to the back of the crowd just in time to see Wolf climbing up over the edge of the woodpile at Scarlet's feet. She had mercifully passed out. But Josiah was howling mournfully as the wood around him slowly caught fire.

What was Wolf doing? Tony wondered. He screamed out to his son-in-law. But of course his cry of "Wolf!" was lost among the others. With strength he didn't know he had, Tony pushed through the crowd of screaming onlookers. He couldn't save little Warren, but somehow he had save the older version. He was at the base of the woodpile when he looked up and saw Wolf put the mirror talisman around his mother's neck.

"What's he doing?" someone yelled behind Tony. "Get him down!"

"I will!" Tony responded. And he climbed up the woodpile after Wolf.

The flames were growing now, especially on Josiah's side. But his howling had faded because he couldn't breath through the smoke rising up around him.

Wolf was just standing there patting his mother's face, like a lost little boy in a trance. Tony caught his collar and yanked him off the woodpile. Then he threw him to the ground. It hadn't been a difficult rescue because of Wolf's dreamlike state. But just then Scarlet started screaming. Her dress had caught fire and the pain had caused her to wake up.

In a minute Wolf was on his feet screaming too, trying to claw his way past Tony to rescue her. There was nothing left to do. Tony hauled off and hit Wolf as hard as he could across the jaw and then to the side of the face. When his son-in-law crumpled at his feet, he dragged him through the crowd, trying hard to close his ears and nose to what was happening behind him. His eyes couldn't see anything because they were filling with tears.

Virginia was waiting near the path at the edge of the clearing. Somehow Tony found the strength to drag Wolf to her.

"What happened?" she asked, falling to her husband's side.

"He gave Scarlet his talisman," Tony said, gasping.

"So they could see everything." Virginia wiped the blood and soot from Wolf's face with her skirt and cradled his head in her lap.

"You've got to go. Now!" Tony said.

"But how? We're one talisman short?"

With shaking hands, Tony took off his piece of the mirror and gave it to Virginia. "Here. Put it around his neck."

"But what about you?"

"Matilde will come for me."

"Oh, Dad."

"No, she will. You've got to go now because if Wolf comes to, I won't have the strength to wrestle him down again." Tony swayed on his feet as he pulled the red leather satchel with the magic traveling dust from around his neck. "Are you ready."

Virginia nodded, tears in her eyes.

"I love you, sweetheart," Tony said. And he threw a handful of the traveling dust over his daughter and Wolf. The dust hung in the air for a moment. Then they both disappeared.

Alone now, Tony staggered into the woods away from the school and dragged himself under some bushes well off the path. Then he cried, long heartrending sobs. For himself. For Virginia and Wolf. For Scarlet and Josiah. For Topaz. And for all he'd seen.

"I'm sorry," a soft voice said.

"What?" Tony looked up through his tears and saw a soft glow in front of him. "Who's there?" he sniffed.

"It's Matilde. I wasn't in Wendell's castle when this happened. They had to send for me."

Tony wiped his eyes. "The war?"

"Yes. But not in the way you think. I'm sorry."

"I just wish I could have stopped it," Tony said, crying again.

"I know."

"I can still hear them yelling like savages back there. Cheering."

Matilde held up her staff and the air around them grew magically quiet. "Is that better?"

"No. I can still hear it."

"Let's go back."

"I can't get up."

"You don't have to." Matilde sat down next to Tony and placed her staff between them. "Touch my cane. It has enough power to guide us both back."

Tony reached out grasped the white cane. Matilde pulled some magic dust from her pocket and sprinkled it over them. It held in the air for a moment. And then they too left the past behind.


	56. Chapter 56

**CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX**

**The Council of Truth's Second Ruling**

Queen Leaf Fall was standing in front of the Mirror of Truth in the present with the remaining members of the Council of Truth. They were watching flames leap up as the fire engulfed Scarlet and the sliver of mirror around her neck. There was no sound, however. Cinderella had asked the mirror to cut it off. The spectacle alone was hard enough to endure. The talisman was still operating because the killing flames had not yet reached it. It scanned the crowd, stopping for close ups on certain faces. Some were filled with hatred, others laughter, and even a few with sadness.

"I don't understand why Snow White waited so long to call them back," King Cole asked. His usually jolly face was anything but. He was pale and sweating. His eyes were full of pain.

"Because," Leaf Fall said, "she wanted us to see that there was absolutely no evidence of poaching. Josiah was in our sights all day till the crowds arrived. And Scarlet, although gone for quite a while, carried no great knife and had no trace of blood on her clothes when she came home. We even got to hear what the family was planning for dinner for the next two evenings. Without that testimony others might question our ruling."

"Mirror, stop!" Cinderella commanded. She stepped forward on shaky legs, leaning on the cane she'd been using the last few days. Her limbs felt stiff because of the colder weather, but her magically corrective contacts saw things better than most. "Give us a close up on the left at the back," she told the mirror.

Immediately, the mirror complied. It had been panning very slowly at the back of the crowd near the edge of the clearing.

"Is that who I think it is?" King Cole asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is," Eranthis said, shaking his head.

"Mirror," Leaf Fall commanded, "give us more of a close up."

The mirror swirled gray for a moment and gave the closest view it could from that distance. The flames from the fire flared up in front of the picture from time to time. But the sight was unmistakable. It was Wolf's two foster parents, holding his younger self at the edge of the clearing. The he-wolf held one of the boy's arms and the she-wolf held the back of his shirt. They were forcing him to watch his parents burn, forcing him to remember in agonizing detail the cruelty of humans towards wolves.

"Enough!" Cinderella said. "Mirror, off!"

The mirror complied without hesitation.

Slowly, Cinderella made her way in-between the darkened mirror and the others. "I don't know which is worse," she said with disgust. "The humans burning Wolf's parents. Or his foster parents forcing him to watch. I don't know about the rest of you. But I'm ready to make a ruling." She settled onto the top of her cane, her eyes flashing and ready for the task ahead.

Tony and Matilde landed in the great foyer at the entrance of Wendell's castle. The perfect butler was waiting for them. Because Matilde was in charge of this trip, Tony found the landing far superior to the others he'd made. He landed on his feet with barely a sway, instead of falling in a pile on the ground half-conscious.

"Your Highness," the bowing butler said with great nonchalance. It was as if he saw people appear and disappear all the time. "I was sent to tell you that Miss Virginia and Mr. Wolf have been taken in hand by the Royal Physician. So far, he finds them well. Except that Mr. Wolf is greatly bruised and in severe shock. Miss Virginia, though seems fine."

"Thank you," Matilde said. "And the Council?"

"They are waiting to tell you their ruling."

"Good. Let Miss Virginia know that her father has returned safely."

"At once." The butler clicked his perfectly shined shoes and glided backwards away from them.

"Would you like to hear the Council's ruling?" Matilde asked Tony.

"Sure," Tony said, rubbing his back. "If I don't have to walk too far."

"Take my cane," Matilde said, slipping it into his hands. "It has great healing powers, if you remember. It will help you."

Tony took the cane with a weary smile and limped slowly in the direction of the mirror room. "Is this going to be an important ruling?" he asked.

"I think so." She slipped her hand though his free arm to give him additional support. And she noticed how good it felt to touch him.

"Thank you for coming to get me," he said.

"Not at all. You knew I would."

"Yeah. I guess I did."

They were both silent for a few steps.

"I ought to thank you for helping me get through those last few days," he said. "It was you I was talking to, wasn't it? I wasn't just imagining it?"

"No. It was me."

Tony looked down at his exhausted feet. "I don't think I could have gotten through this last part without you. Thanks."

"You're quite welcome. I only wish I could have been there sooner this evening. It was the Naked Emperor's Great Grandson, of all people. He got it into his head to try and lead the battle with the Ice Maidens at the edge of the Sixth Kingdom, in the altogether of course. He even thought his armor was invisible. How he could stand to do that in late Fall, I don't know. Princess Alicia sent me a message that I should get him back to his castle before she shot him with one of her ice arrows or he died of exposure. So, I went late this afternoon in my coach to quiet him down. When I left, you and little Warren were still catching tadpoles down by the creek. If I'd known what was going to happen next. I would have sent Princess Alicia's father instead. That old buzzard is frightening to look at with all the wild gray hair. You may remember him. He was at Wendell's coronation in company with Alicia and several of her Ice Maidens. He probably could have gotten the Emperor back to his castle as easily as I did. But I've been keeping him busy lately building us a cache of magic traveling powder which I think we'll need soon. I'm really sorry. Leaf Fall notified my crystal ball soon after the mobs arrived and she saw you weren't leaving."

They were almost at the entrance of the mirror room now.

"Matilde, I…" Tony began.

But he never got to finish. King Cole suddenly appeared in the doorway of the mirror room. "Matilde!" he said. I was just coming to get you. We're about to make our ruling."

Tony pushed a little harder on the cane and leaned more on Matilde's arm to quicken himself. He'd extended more energy that night than he would have thought possible. Evidently his body intended to punish him for it.

"Good." Leaf Fall said, as Matilde and Tony entered. "This ruling is of course subject to your agreement, Matilde. But I feel certain that won't be a problem. Eranthis." Leaf waved to the little dwarf and he stepped forward.

Eranthis placed his hands neatly behind his back and raised his white bewhiskered chin in a kingly attitude. "We find firstly, that Queen Red Riding Hood the Second was guilty of conspiracy in a double murder involving her sister and that she did so for political and personal reasons. We find secondly, that even though Red Riding Hood the First's daughter Scarlet abdicated the throne to her sister, her children are still lawfully in line for succession behind Red Riding Hood the Third. This is especially important as we are at war. The health and well being of the present Queen are not guaranteed."

"I've been keeping track of her by crystal ball," Matilde said. "I look in on her once a day. Her health and well being are not good. But it is dangerous to stage a rescue inside the bowels of a dungeon, even with magic. We would have a better chance if they took her outside and we knew specifically where she was."

"So, saying," Eranthis continued. He had relaxed his attitude a bit and was now looking at everyone over his wire framed glasses. "It is important to set a line of succession because the Queen has not done so herself. Therefore it will stand as follows. The man known as Wolf, Scarlet's oldest surviving child, shall be first in line. The woman known as Rose, Scarlet's second oldest, shall be second. Third in line shall be a descendent of Flint Thompson's brother, Miss Maria Thompson."

"I found her listed through various records held by the Council," Matilde explained to Tony. "My crystal ball located her in a quiet corner of the Second Kingdom. She seems a sweet child with a tiny farm. She grows snow peas predominately. If we're to be fair about this, she must be included also."

Tony nodded.

"All parties will have titles fitting their positions," Eranthis went on. "And of course, the line of succession will vary upon the arrival of legitimate offspring."

"That means none of King Henry's 'extra' children can claim the throne," Leaf Fall put in. "Red tells me there's quite a few of them."

"It also means," Matilde said to Tony, "that Virginia's child will become second in line at birth."

"This finding will be written up and announced to the populace of the Nine Kingdoms by first light," Eranthis said.

"Do you endorse this ruling?" Leaf Fall asked Matilde.

"I do."

"Good. Then we'll begin at once to draw up the necessary documents."

A moan suddenly came from the mirror and all eyes turned to it.

"He's in pain," Eranthis said. The dwarf moved to the mirror and ran his hand gently over the spot where the three pieces had been removed. "The talisman must be burning."

Again the mirror moaned. It was a low cry at first. But then it became greater, as if the mirror were trying to stifle the sound but just could not.

"Matilde, please," Eranthis said.

Matilde retrieved her cane from Tony and waved its point around the full circumference of the mirror. Then she turned the cane sideways and carefully touched it to the wounded area. The moaning stopped. "Eranthis, take the cane and hold it in position for a while."

"Yes," he said.

"Lord Lewis," Matilde said. "You're looking a little better, but I still think you should pay a visit to the Royal Physician before retiring."

"That's probably a good idea."

Matilde offered him her arm again and they started away from the mirror room very slowly.

"Should we tell Virginia and Wolf?" Tony asked. "About your ruling I mean."

"Actually, the Council made an earlier ruling which you should also hear as well. But it's nothing that can't wait till tomorrow. You've all been through quite a lot tonight."

"Yeah," Tony said wincing.

"You're still moving very stiffly. I'll have someone bring my cane to you after the mirror's pain has passed. Keep it with you as you sleep."

"But I can't take your cane away from you for an entire night."

"You must. There's a lot of work for you to do tomorrow."

"For me? What kind of work?"

As if in answer, the high pitched clippity clip footsteps of Lord Rupert sounded from around the corner of the corridor.

"Is that who I think it is?" Tony asked.

"I believe so. No doubt his friend the butler told him of your arrival."

"Lord Lewis!" Lord Rupert said, dancing excitedly toward them. "I heard you were back. I'm so glad to see you!" He threw his arms freely around Tony, causing a look of agony to cross Tony's face.

"Lord Rupert!" Matilde said. "Please be gentle. Lord Lewis has had rather a trying night."

"So sorry," Rupert said. "Just got carried away. There's so much to tell you."

"Yes. But no hugging," Tony said.

Just the hint of a smile escaped from Matilde. "I'm sure Lord Lewis will be interested in everything you have to say. Why don't you tell him on the way to the Royal Physician."

"May I?" Rupert took Tony's arm and started leading him off. "We've been working so hard here. Not resting a minute. Wait till you see what we've done!"

Tony looked back when he realized Matilde wasn't accompanying them. "Matilde?" he said.

"You go ahead. I have to help the Council write up that proclamation. I'll see you in the morning. And I'll have someone bring you my cane later."

Tony sent her a look that said, "You're leaving me with HIM?"

Matilde's answer was a smile. She really did have other things to do and she knew Tony was in safe hands. "Lord Rupert. Mind you, don't keep him up all night. Just bring him to the Royal Physician and then straight to bed with him.

"Of course, your Highness," Rupert answered.

Tony rolled his eyes at Matilde and she smiled again.

"King Eranthis has been helping us," Rupert continued in great animation. "We couldn't have come so far so fast without his help. Tomorrow morning, you must come down to the workshop directly and I'll show you everything we've done."

Matilde watched them as they continued down the corridor and turned out of sight. Then she went back to the mirror room. Eranthis was still holding the cane to the mirror. Leaf Fall was beginning to pen their official statement. And Cinderella was doing a critique of Red the First.

"I never thought all that much of Red Riding Hood's big push toward public education," Cinderella said. "Oh, it sounded all progressive and forward thinking to try and bring schooling to all the intelligent beings. But she was really just trying to make herself seem important and beneficent. She still considered all the wolves to be savages. And did she try to bring even one talking mouse or magic bird into her schools? No she did not. I had several birds specifically come and complain to me about that."

"Yes, Cindy, we know," Leaf Fall said. They'd heard this complaint a million times. "Your schools were the first truly progressive ones."

"Well, they were."

"Shouldn't we send this notice out tonight to our various Prime Ministers and such," King Cole asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," Matilde said. "First to them. And then to the populace at large in the morning."

"I'll organize my elves after we've gone over the wording," Leaf said.

"This is a monumental moment in the history for the Nine Kingdoms," Eranthis said. He removed Matilde's cane from the mirror to see what would happen. But the mirror remained dark and silent. "Is he all right?"

"Yes," Matilde said, taking her cane back. "He's asleep. When he awakes, his attention will return to the present. At some point I'll send someone to retrieve the lost piece of mirror. But it will have to be after this war." Matilde stood in front of the mirror and addressed it. "Snow White, I know you can't answer me right now because of the state the mirror is in. But I know you can hear me. Your quest has been completed. And your questers have all returned safely. You heard our rulings and you can rest now at least on this." She turned to touch Cinderella's hand and her eyes met with Leaf Fall's. "We who were alive when some of these things happened, were derelict in our duty. We were too wrapped up in other things to realize what was going on. We're glad that you gave us the chance to undo some of these wrongs."

"Yes," Cinderella said.

Leaf Fall nodded in agreement.


	57. Chapter 57

**CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN**

**Hero**

Ichabod made it through the woods to what had once been the border between the Second and Fourth Kingdoms without incident. But still, there was no sign of fighting. What he had to do was find someone in authority in the army of the Fourth Kingdom and tell them of the troll's plan to execute Red Riding Hood the Third. Hopefully they could get word to the Council who in turn might stage a rescue of his beloved Queen.

Although his instincts told him to turn back, he went on toward the sounds of battle, beyond the scattered groves of pine in the distance. He had been without food and water for a long time by then. His thin body felt heavy and his head light. But he was determined to push on. His Queen and his whole country were depending on him.

Finally, he saw a group of trolls in the open by some bushes. He recognized the misshapen style of their body armor in the moonlight. They were confronting a major detachment of what looked like human men and women. Ichabod was shocked to see women in the field. He wasn't aware of any of the armies of the Nine Kingdoms allowing them in combat. But here they were.

Of course, he didn't know these women were part-wolf. He had heard wolf howls but he had assumed they were feeding on the dead and dying in the field of battle. The news of Wendell using wolf troops to defend Kissing Town from the trolls had reached the Second Kingdom. But it had largely been discounted as fantasy. Then, when the war started in earnest, they'd been too lost in their own problems to think about the soldiers of other kingdoms.

Ichabod ducked behind a clump of leafless bushes and watched the fighting. He knew this wasn't the perfect place to hide. So, he decided to make a run for it to a trio of willows. Unfortunately, he couldn't run fast enough and the battle suddenly overtook him. A team of trolls was rushing up behind him, yelling war cries. Another group of soldiers was advancing toward him from the opposite direction. They were just yelling. Ichabod couldn't tell the difference between the colors gray and navy and brown in the moonlight. So he couldn't tell that the advancing soldiers were largely King Cole's men in gray, led by two brown clad soldiers. Rose's wolf troops had taken to wearing brown like her.

Desperately, Ichabod tried to get out of the way. But they engulfed him completely. The brown clad soldiers, passed on either side of him first. He fell to the ground expecting to be attacked. But the part-wolves in the lead knew by scent that he wasn't a troll and went on by. The humans behind ignored him and started attacking the trolls.

For a minute Ichabod thought he was safe. But as he started to get up, one of the trolls came behind him. He struck Ichabod down and then buried his battle-ax partially in the thin man's back. The troll raised his weapon for a final blow, but a wolf howl interrupted him. Suddenly, even more of Wendell's troops poured into the area. The troll who'd attacked Ichabod ran backward in the direction of the Second Kingdom.

Ichabod didn't realize it as he was lying on the ground in agony, but Wendell's soldiers had just re-taken some of the land they'd lost to the trolls. He was now officially behind the lines of the Fourth Kingdom. He could have waited for help. But he was afraid the fighting would return. So he kept going. He crawled along the cold earth, totally unaware of the falling temperatures. As he went along, he left a trail of blood. He was almost at the point of passing out when a pair of boots materialized in front of him.

"You shouldn't be moving," a male voice said.

Ichabod looked up but he could only see the shadow of a small man outlined against the moon. He couldn't make out the man's dark features or his brown clothes or his heavy backpack.

"I come from the Second Kingdom," Ichabod gasped.

"Easy," the dark man said, slipping off his backpack. "You shouldn't be talking."

"I must. The trolls are planning to burn the Queen. Castle courtyard, tomorrow morning."

"Queen Red Riding Hood?" the dark man asked.

"Yes," Ichabod rasped. "Tell Wendell."

The dark man stood and took a deep breath. Then he let go of a series of wolf howls which were answered a short distance away and then passed on.

Ichabod was horrified. The man standing over him was obviously a wolf. He started dragging himself on the ground again.

"Where are you going?" the dark man said, pulling him to a stop. "You'll kill yourself."

"You're a wolf. You're calling the pack to come and eat me." Ichobod trembled. He thought he had failed in bringing his message and was about to suffer a horrible death.

It was too bad Ichabod couldn't see the bemused expression on the dark half-wolf's face. "I'm a medic," he said, dryly. "I don't eat people." With a little growl, he knelt back down at the side of the wounded man. It seemed pointless to explain to Ichabod that a sizable number of the part-wolves were serving as medics. With their ability to run, handle first aid, and scent blood, they were perfect for the job of finding the injured under the cover of darkness. Many lives had been saved by their quick response.

The half-wolf cut a sizable piece of material out of Ichabod's wool pants.

"You'll kill me and won't deliver my message," Ichabod accused trying to move again.

"No I won't," the half-wolf said, forcing Ichabod to be still once more. "I've just sent word that I have important information and need assistance at once." He took the material from Ichabod's pants and applied pressure to his back. "You've suffered a deep wound here and you've lost a lot of blood. Don't move again."

A howl sounded not far away and the half-wolf answered back.

"No!" Ichabod cried.

"I just told them we're over here. That's all."

"No!"

The half-wolf shook his head but said no more.

The King's aide and a full-blooded wolf ran up to them.

"A lot of blood," the full wolf said. "I could smell it from over the ridge."

"He's from the Second Kingdom with a message for King Wendell."

"Yes," said the King's aide.

"He says the trolls are planning to burn the Queen tomorrow morning in the castle courtyard."

The aide turned to the full wolf and said, "Get the King at once."

With a nod the wolf was off.

"How does he know?" the aide asked.

"He really shouldn't be talking."

Ichabod reached his hand out and grasped the aide's scuffed boot. "You're not a wolf?"

"No, Sir."

"Good," Ichabod said. "You can't trust them."

The aide looked guiltily at the half-wolf medic who was still applying pressure to Ichabod's open wound. So far, he'd found wolves very trustworthy. At least the ones he'd been serving with. "Who are you, Sir?"

"I'm the Queen's secretary. My name is Ichabod."

The aide wasn't familiar with the name. He'd never paid much attention to the royalty and their entourages in the other Kingdoms.

At that point King Wendell came over the ridge with the full-blooded wolf the aide had sent, a Lieutenant from his own army, and an elf. The Lieutenant was carrying a lantern and the King was carrying a specially sent message from the Council of Truth that the elf had just brought.

"What happened?" Wendell demanded.

"This man claims to be Ichabod, secretary to Queen Red Riding Hood the Third," the aide said.

Wendell knelt next to Ichabod and waved the Lieutenant to his side with the lantern. He recognized Ichabod, even though they'd only met once or twice at a Council meeting. His nose was bloody and his eyes were screaming in pain, but the tuft of hair and the angular face were unmistakable. "Ichabod? What happened? It's King Wendell."

"Your Majesty?" Ichabod reached up weakly and Wendell took his hand. "They tried to force me to carry wood. But I escaped. They're going to burn her tomorrow."

"When? Do you know?"

"Ten I think. Save her."

"Yes, we will old chap. We will." Wendell got up and waved for the dark haired medic. "How is he?"

"Not good," the medic answered in a very low voice. "If he had stayed where he was after he was attacked, we might have saved him. But moving around so much, he's lost a lot of blood. I don't think he'll make it. It looks like he's been through a lot of deprivation."

"All right. Make him as comfortable as you can till the end comes."

"Yes, your Majesty."

The medic went to his back pack and removed one of several large water bottles. It was these that made up most of the weight he'd been carrying.

"I have something to show you," Wendell said to his aide. He handed him the Council's message and let him read it by the lantern. "This messenger of Queen Leaf Fall's just brought it," he gestured toward the elf. "It seems we will have something to tell her as well."

"No!" Ichabod cried, trying to turn away the bottle of water the medic offered him.

"What is it?" Wendell asked.

"I think he's afraid I might poison him," the half-wolf said dryly.

Wendell crouched down again next to the dying man. "This medic is trying to give you swamp water. You know the kind I mean. The magic stuff from the Deadly Swamp. We've been using it to relieve pain. Drink it. It will make you feel better. And I'll send your message to the Council of the Nine Kingdoms right away."

Ichabod nodded and accepted the water. He was very thirsty and drank deeply.

"Take as much as you want," the medic said.

"I can't believe it," the aide said, referring to the missive from the Council of Truth.

"It's going to be hard for the Second Kingdom to accept," Wendell said. He turned to the full-blooded wolf who was still standing there, waiting for orders. "Find Major Rose and send her here at once."

The wolf gave Wendell a half bow and took off with a grunt.

"You should bring this information about Red Riding Hood the Third back to your Queen," Wendell told the elf. "We'll wait for her instructions and mount whatever kind of attack or distraction she thinks necessary. But I feel certain a rescue cannot succeed without the help of magic. There are just too many variables."

The elf bowed and flew away.

"We'll start notifying our men tonight about the Council's message," Wendell said to his Lieutenant and his aide. "Major Burke has to be told at once. Wake up one of the elves and ask him to fly there and let him know."

"Yes, your Majesty," the aide said. And he and the Lieutenant departed.

By this time, Ichabod was starting to feel the narcotic effects of the magic swamp water. The pain in his back had receded a touch and so had the rest of the world.

"You should probably see this too," Wendell said to the medic. He handed him the notice and positioned the lantern so he could read it.

This particular half-wolf happened to be from the Fourth Kingdom. But he understood the weight of this proclamation for all of his kind. A smile slowly turned up the edges of his mouth and a sparkle spread to his eyes. This didn't just raise Wolf and Rose's position in the world. It raised up all wolves.

The sound of quick footsteps rushing through the grass told them of Rose's approach. Wendell intercepted her, catching her in his arms and kissing her. He felt enormous joy and freedom being able to hold her whenever the whim and soldierly propriety allowed. He wanted to absorb her entirely into himself. To get lost in her long red hair and soft body. He wanted to be honorable toward her, but it was growing difficult because she created such passion in him.

Rose rubbed the blond stubble on Wendell's chin and growled slightly as they pulled apart. Tonight, the wolf that had sent her needed only to say that the King wanted her to come to him. She needed no directions. She could scent him on the wind and track him easily. It was all she could do to resist the urge to nibble his neck and push him to the ground. But they hadn't gotten that far yet. Wendell was a very proper man and he expected her to be the same. Still, the moon was almost full now and it was only the war that kept her desire in line.

"What is it?" Rose asked a little breathlessly. "Or was that what you wanted me for?"

"Yes, always. But there's more. I have news." Wendell retrieved the notice and the lantern. "Read this," he said.

Rose read the message while Wendell watched expectantly.

"Well?" Wendell said. "What do you think?"

"I'm in shock."

"This is a great move on the part of the Council."

"I know." Rose looked away from the paper. "Does this mean Wolf is back?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Wendell said. "How stupid of me. I should have told you that first. Yes, he is. He and Virginia are both fine and back at my castle."

"Good. I wonder if he knows about this proclamation yet."

"He must."

"I wonder what he went through to find all this out?"

"I'm sure he's all right. Your brother's a survivor. Believe me, I know."

"And the wounded man?" Rose gestured in the direction of Ichabod. "I was told he brought a message too."

"His name is Ichabod."

"Ichabod?"

"You know him?"

"Not personally." She lowered her voice to a faint whisper. "But everybody in the Second Kingdom has heard about him or seen him fluttering at some royal function at some time. Is that him?"

"Yes. He told us they're planning to burn the Queen publicly tomorrow."

"Have you sent word to the Council?"

"Yes. Only just now."

"If they need wolf recruits I volunteer to go."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"But why? I mean, she hasn't been all that nice to you and your kind."

"First," Rose said, "she is family, whether she knows it or not. Second, if I and my kind do not join the rescue team, people will say that we wanted her to die so we could take her throne."

"They might say that anyway."

"At least they'll have no evidence of it."

Ichabod was still awake, but unconscious of anything not immediately around him. The heavy bleeding from his back had tapered off. But the medic's sharp wolfish eyes could see that his color was deathly gray and that there was still a look of pain in his eyes. He decided to give Ichabod more swamp water. Then he could simply fall asleep and fade away peacefully. Unfortunately, Ichabod had decided to be afraid of the medic again. No longer did he remember the King's assurances that the water was safe.

"No!" Ichabod cried as he struggled to push the bottle and the medic away. "No!"

"What is it now?" Wendell asked.

"He won't drink again," the medic answered.

"I'll do it," Rose said. She handed Wendell the notice and he followed her as she knelt down next to Ichabod. Rose took the water bottle from the medic. "You go on," she told him. "There are lots of others who need you."

The half-wolf medic nodded reverently and said, "Yes, your Majesty."

A sharp wind passed over them. It was as if nature itself was impressed with the new title and wanted to take part in this historical moment. It was the first time that a wolf was referred to in such an honorable way. Whatever came afterwards, nothing would ever be the same. Was this new position an honor or a burden, Rose wondered. Only time would tell. She gave the medic a nod and he started away in the direction of the fighting.

Gently, the new Princess raised Ichabod's head. "We need you to drink more of this," she said gently. "It will make you feel better."

"It's all right," Wendell assured the man. "You're safe here."

Ichabod looked at the face leaning over him in the dim lantern light. His eyes were no longer seeing clearly. So he saw what he wanted to see. The face of his Queen, looking down on him with concern, her red hair cascading near his face.

He reached his hand up to touch her cheek. It wasn't bruised anymore. And her green eyes were no longer sunken with pain from all that she'd suffered so bravely. "Your Majesty. I saved you. Didn't I?"

"What?" Rose said.

"He thinks you're Queen Red Riding Hood the Third," Wendell whispered.

Rose nodded. What harm could there be in giving this man some final consolation. "Yes, you saved me," she said.

"I told you I would."

"And you did."

"You're beautiful. So beautiful." Ichabod ran his bloodied fingers over Rose's face. "I guess you've figured out by now that I've always loved you."

Rose's lips trembled, but she said nothing.

"You're wonderful. A hurt little girl that I finally got to protect. I couldn't help but love you."

"I love you too, Ichabod," Rose said with tears in her eyes. She wiped away some of the blood and dirt from his face. "I always will."

"Stay with me."

"I will," she promised.

"It hurts."

"I know. Drink some water. It won't hurt as much."

Rose raised the water bottle to his lips and he drank. It was hard to swallow now. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered as long as his Queen was by his side.

"You'll sleep now," Rose said. "And I'll stay here till you wake up."

Ichabod nodded vaguely. The magic water was already floating him away into unseen depths. Rose pulled him into her arms and held him close, uncaring of the cold ground or the blood and dirt. She sat crying silent tears, for the love that was lost and could never be. For the war and all the other casualties within it. She held Ichabod till he breathed his final breath. And then she howled the loss to the moon as wolves always do.

Wendell sat watch over them. Knowing as he had never known before that he had to make this woman his Queen.


	58. Chapter 58

**CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT**

**Cannons**

When Tony went with Rupert to see the Royal Physician, he'd been hoping to catch up with Wolf and Virginia. But they'd already gone to bed. He asked the strange little doctor with the thick glasses and pointed beard for an in-depth diagnosis on them. But he got nothing.

"Mr. Wolf is as well as can be expected after such a terrible experience," the doctor said, skulking back and forth among some jars of foreign looking liquids and powders. "And Miss Virginia is better than expected. Excellent stamina, that girl has."

"Thank you. I think," Tony said.

"But you have nothing more than strained muscles as far as I can see."

"How do you know that? You haven't even examined me yet," Tony said, almost in a whimper.

The doctor consulted a gigantic book in leather bindings and said, "I don't need to." Then he rummaged around among some bizarre silver instruments. Tony was just as happy not to be examined with any of those. "I can tell by the way you walk and move," the doctor said. "People with broken bones move one way, people with torn ligaments move another. And people with strained muscles move like you. Now they are very bad strained muscles, I will admit that. But strained muscles they are. And there is no magic talisman in my collection that can cure you. So, go. Take a hot bath and rest up."

It was then that the perfect butler brought Matilde's cane. "Lord Lewis", he said with a slight bow. The depth of his bows always matched the importance of the person he was speaking to. And Tony only rated a slight bow. "Queen Matilde asked me to give you this." The butler held forth the cane as if it were a precious and costly item deserving of great reverence.

"Ah!" the strange little doctor said, with a sniff. "That's what you need. Queen Matilde's cane will cure you, both body and soul."

Soul? Tony thought it was strange that he mentioned soul. But he didn't question it because he was tired of being around the strange little man.

Being with Lord Rupert wasn't any better. He kept talking constantly about the cannons they had been working on in his absence. Tony was just too exhausted to take most of it in. He finally got rid of Rupert by ordering himself a hot bath as per the doctor's order and promising to go to bed immediately afterward.

"All right," Rupert said. "But promise you'll come down to the workshop first thing in the morning."

"I promise," Tony said.

Unfortunately, the bath didn't ease much of Tony's pain. It was all he could do to hobble off to his room. And the worst was yet to come. His muscles positively shrieked as he made the climb into his high bed. When he first picked it out at the Royal Furniture Maker's, he thought it looked macho because it was so tall and sturdy with its dark wood and oversized headboard. But in such agony, it seemed impossible to get into. And when he finally got into it, he couldn't find a comfortable position. It hurt no matter which way he lay. So he simply stayed on his back, clutching the cane over his chest. He thought he was going to be in for an endless night of pain. But it seemed like only seconds before he fell asleep.

In the morning it was completely different. He bounded off the bed with ease. All discomfort was gone. And his mind felt clearer than it had in a long time. He was even more amazed to see that it was only six o'clock. He hardly ever got up that early.

Tony leaned the cane against his bureau as he dressed and readied himself for the day. Somehow he wasn't so entranced by the showy style he'd been cultivating before he left. His love affair with his new title was over. A subtler more casual look seemed more to his taste now. He chose a relaxed navy suit with a pinstriped sash across the front.

When he was ready, he turned to pick up the cane. He was shocked to see it standing on its own power away from the bureau. Was it alive somehow, he wondered. Tony felt strange doing it, but he suddenly found himself addressing it.

"Are you ready to go downstairs now?" he asked a little uncertainly.

The cane with its twisted white wood, bowed in reply.

"Good," Tony said. He assumed the cane had said yes.

When he picked it up, he gave it a weak smile. It felt like a normal piece of dead wood to the touch. But considering how strange things were in the Nine Kingdoms, that didn't mean much. Best to treat the cane with respect, handle it gently, and not bang it against anything.

No one else seemed to be up yet in the castle. The maids weren't on the move. And only a couple of people were in the kitchen. He thought of knocking on Virginia and Wolf's door, but thought better of it. Wolf had had a bad night. He would need some serious rest.

With no other idea of what to do, Tony made his way to his workshop. After all, he had promised Rupert to go there first thing in the morning. He just didn't believe anyone would be there yet. When he stepped out the back door of the castle, he was amazed to see an array of cannons, big heavy iron ones on great wheels. Alongside them were stacks of cannon balls. They certainly had been busy in his absence.

When he opened the door to the workshop, he found Lord Rupert and King Eranthis talking over a map.

"Lord Lewis!" Rupert said, leaping to his feet. "You're up! How unusual. Have you had breakfast?"

"No," Tony said. "They were still setting up in the kitchen and I didn't want to disturb them."

"Oh, they're used to us working odd hours back here. They're bringing us something shortly. Why don't you give them your order when they come?"

"All right, Tony said. He was still looking around, feeling uncertain. Before he'd left this had been his domain. Now it wasn't quite his anymore. Or was it? After all, they were following his designs. "I see there are a lot of cannons outside," Tony said.

"Yes," Rupert said. "I told you about them last night. We've been rushing through your plans at the speed of lightening. And King Eranthis has been overseeing the making of the black power. His people have been using it for years to help them mine their way through Dragon Mountain. He seemed the best equipped to handle that part."

"These plans of yours are really ingenious," Eranthis said, looking over the tops of his glasses at Tony. He didn't put the emotion into his words that Rupert did. But considering that he hadn't wanted anything to do with Tony a few weeks back, this was high praise.

"Thank you," Tony said. "Have you seen Matilde this morning? I have her cane and I wanted to give it back."

"Oh, she's involved in some big military thing," Rupert said. "She's in the King's study watching it all on her crystal ball."

Eranthis adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses and said, "I think you should wait to see Matilde till they've finished the rescue."

"What rescue?"

"They wouldn't tell me," Rupert said. "They wanted to keep it all hush-hush. But I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Red Riding Hood the Third."

"Lord Rupert!" Eranthis said.

"What? I'm not allowed to guess?" Rupert asked.

Eranthis's answer to this was to raise one white eyebrow. Then he addressed himself to Tony. "When you came in we were discussing how many cannons to send to each front and who would be in charge of them."

Tony wasn't sure yet if he was being invited to take part or not. But there wasn't any harm in asking questions. "What are you planning to do?"

"We have ten cannons," Eranthis said. "That's as many as we could make on short notice. Have you seen a map of the fighting?"

"No, I haven't," Tony said.

"Well, look at this." Eranthis pointed to the map he and Rupert had been studying. "These red marks are the areas under attack. Did you know that the Second Kingdom had been taken?"

"Yes, Matilde told me."

"Good. Then you will see that these four borders are where we need the cannons. I think we should have two at each, with an extra one at the two borders that intersect the Second Kingdom. We want the extra weapons there so we can retake the kingdom as soon as possible."

"Excellent plan," Tony said.

"Thank you. Now, as to who is to be in charge. We've pretty much decided. Matilde will lead the attack at the border of the Sixth Kingdom with the Ice Maidens. I will lead at the border of the First Kingdom. Wolf will take the border between the Fourth and Second Kingdoms. And you will take the border of the Third Kingdom."

"Me?" Tony was surprised. "You want me to lead?"

"Of course. Who's better qualified to oversee the cannons than the man who invented them?"

"But I've never served on a battlefield."

"That's why we're sending Lord Rupert with you."

"It'll be fun," Rupert said, with a smile.

"Oh, I'm sure," Tony answered dryly.

Eranthis looked over the tops of his glasses again. "Is that all right?"

"It will be fine," Tony answered. But he was lying. It wasn't going to be fine or fun. He just couldn't say no. It was such a great honor they were giving him. He wasn't sure which he liked less, going into battle or serving with Lord Rupert.


	59. Chapter 59

**CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE**

**Magic Rescue**

From first morning light, Wendell had made it his business to stay by Rose. The rescue plan put together by Queens Leaf Fall and Matilde was straightforward and, if executed well, relatively safe. But he was terrified for his ladylove's safety. As she went her way in and out of the squad of elves, Ice Maidens, humans, and wolves that had been put together the night before, he followed doggedly behind. He kept smiling vaguely at everyone when it was expected and touching her whenever possible.

"You will be careful?" Wendell said for the hundredth time.

"Yes," Rose said, patiently. "We're going in quickly and then disappearing. There shouldn't be much danger. Surprise will be in our favor."

"But you never know," Wendell said.

"No. But if it goes according to plan, it will probably be the safest thing I've done so far in this war." Rose came to a stop next to a bare oak tree and pulled him close. "Now don't worry," she said. And she kissed him sweetly, inviting more.

But he wasn't into it. He was much too busy being nervous. "You'll come to me as soon as you're back?"

"Yes," Rose said with a growl and a playful scratch at his beard. He hadn't shaved that morning yet, which was highly unusual for him.

Suddenly, Matilde's coach appeared at the edge of the crowd in a whirl of sparkling white dust. The day's fighting had already begun, but they were comfortably behind it. They didn't want Spider the giant to accidentally see the magic coach appear or notice the crowd milling about it. Queen Leaf Fall stepped out of the carriage. She was the one in charge of this rescue. It had been decided that either she or Matilde could be in the midst of the battle at the same time, but not both. Matilde was president of the Council and Leaf was Vice President. If one of them was killed or captured, the other could go on at the head of the Council and make sure the Nine Kingdoms survived. Since Leaf Fall was a friend of Red Riding Hood the Third's, she was the obvious choice in this instance.

"All right?" Leaf Fall said. "If everyone is ready, we'll form the pattern I sent King Wendell last night. Queen Matilde will be working her crystal to make sure we land in the proper place."

Everyone moved into position except Rose. Wendell had pulled her out of her circle for one last goodbye.

"You will be careful?" he asked for the hundred and first time.

"Yes," she said, pulling his face into her hands and kissing him. This time she got more cooperation.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

She started to go, but he tugged her back. "I have a question to ask," he said. He tried to put on a serious expression to match the serious question. "If you're agreeable, I plan to ask your brother Wolf for your hand in marriage."

"Oh!" Rose cried. And she gave him an exuberant hug that almost knocked him off his feet.

"Then I take it your answer would be yes?"

"Of course," she growled. "The sooner the better."

"I just wanted to ask before you went off to certain death."

"I'll be all right, I promise."

They didn't realize that the entire rescue squad was now watching them. Some looked amused, others impatient. But Queen Leaf Fall was decidedly irritated.

"Uh, excuse me, Princess Rose," Leaf said in a loud voice. "If you've finished saying goodbye, we have a rescue to undertake."

"Sorry," Rose said, running off.

"Young people," Leaf said under her breath. Had she been like that at their age? If she had, she didn't remember it. "All right. On my count at three. One. Two. Three!"

Each human or wolf member of the unit had been paired with either an elf or an Ice Queen. It was the duty of the magical half of the pair to sprinkle traveling dust at the appointed time and steer them both in and out of danger. At Leaf's signal, the entire crew disappeared in a sparkle of white dust.

Wendell sighed deeply, determined to stay in that spot no matter what happened till Rose returned.

Many of Queen Red's people had been forced to come and watch the burning in front of the castle. They stood back as far as they could, intending to look away from the horrible sight. The trolls would have liked to be farther down to watch the fun, but Burly had insisted his men stay close to the peasants to make sure no one tried to escape or interfere. He wanted lots of witnesses to the Queen's death and his assumption of the King-ship.

Burly himself didn't mingle with the crowd. He didn't think kings should mix with commoners except when necessary in battle or for fun during a torture. He was watching from the same parapet that Queen Red had used not long ago to watch her red clad soldiers march into battle. If he'd known the parapet's history maybe he would have avoided it on principal, just in case of bad luck. But he didn't. It afforded him a great view of the courtyard.

He hadn't told anyone except for a very few henchman that he also intended to declare himself King of the Trolls as well as the King of the Second Kingdom that morning. He wanted to keep it a secret from his siblings until after it was done. Then he figured his people would rise up and endorse him. And there would be nothing his brother and sister could do but accept it.

At the stroke of ten o'clock, Burly gave the signal and the fire was lighted. The fallen Queen stood forlornly in her ragged dress and disheveled hair. She didn't cry or scream as the edges of the wood around her caught fire. She didn't have the energy. The pride that had been the center of her existence was gone. In its place was shame. She was ashamed of what she'd come to and of how easily her kingdom had fallen. She was ashamed that she could do nothing to stop what was about to happen to her and her people. She hung her head and wondered how she had fallen to this.

Suddenly, there was a magic rumble and a white cloud of dust erupted around the stake where the Queen was tied. As it lifted, the unit of rescuers appeared. They were in a series of three circles separated enough so they could avoid whatever flames might be in their way. Immediately the unit went into action. Leaf Fall was at the very center. It was her job to free the Queen and support her away as they all disappeared. The middle circle was made up of elves and pureblooded wolves. The elves took to the air and readied their arrows. It was their job to spot trouble from a distance. The pureblooded wolves poured off of the woodpile to directly attack any trolls who got too close and warn back with their growls everyone else. It was their job to maintain a safe span between the crowd of onlookers and the third circle. The final ring was made up of Ice Maidens, humans, and part-wolves like Rose. They were all equipped with arrows too and they shot them only as needed at any trolls who came forward. They were there in case of heavy fighting. But they didn't want to shoot wildly into the crowd for fear of hitting innocent people.

Burly shouted orders from his parapet for his men to grab the townspeople as shields and push forward. But no one heard him in the pandemonium. If they had, perhaps the rescue wouldn't have gone so easily. But there were shouts and cheers from the people of the Second Kingdom. And the sloppy rush forward by the surprised trolls was easily pushed back by the rescuers.

Queen Leaf Fall magically removed the ropes that bound her friend and wrapped her arms around her. "Now!" Leaf called.

Even in the uproar, Rose's sharp ears heard Leaf's signal. She howled and the elves returned to the ground and the wolves returned to their circle. Then, Rose howled again twice. The elves and the Ice Queens threw up their magic dust and everyone vanished in a crack of thunder, just as they had come.

The people of the Second Kingdom roared with excitement. Their Queen had been saved. That means that there was hope that they would be too. The trolls were too dumbfounded to beat the townspeople back into submission. They merely stood around looking confused. And Burly continued on screaming unnoticed from his parapet. For years afterwards, those who saw the rescue commented on how inspirational and thrilling it was. And how right it had been to see wolves running forward in defense of the Queen.

"Suck an elf!" was finally all that Burly could say. His siblings and his people were not going to be happy with this rescue or with him. His hope of becoming King of the Trolls had disappeared with Red the Third.

The rescuers, however, were jubilant. They appeared back at Matilde's waiting carriage in a flash of sparkling white dust. Instantly Wendell picked off Rose from her outside circle. The Ice Maiden with her sniffed at his impatience, but said nothing. Ice Maidens were a very serious lot, you see. And maneuvers of war were the thing they were most serious about. But Wendell wasn't alone in his excitement. Except for the Ice Maidens, everyone was shouting and howling and celebrating their success. This was a major victory for their side.

Wendell pulled Rose close and kissed her. "You did it!" he said. "You came back."

"Yes, and we also rescued the Queen." Rose gestured with her chin toward Leaf Fall. She and several helpers were gently placing Queen Red in Matilde's carriage. From there, it would take her and Leaf Fall to Wendell's castle. "But," Rose continued, "we lost three of the pureblooded wolves."

"Three?"

"Running into the crowd made them more vulnerable than anyone else."

"But they wanted to do it," Wendell reminded her. "You heard them last night. They thought it was the best way to keep everyone else safe."

"Well, they succeeded. I don't think anyone else except they and the trolls got hurt. The townspeople were kept safe."

"Good."

"Those wolves died heroes," Rose said. "But not for the sake of Red Riding Hood the Third. You realize the wolves that went, went out of loyalty to either you or me. They told me as much last night. They called me Princess and bowed in front of me."

"I understand. Having people loyal to you, willing to give their lives to follow you, that's a great burden, isn't it?"

Rose nodded. "I feel the deaths of those wolves more personally than any of the others who've fallen so far in this war. Before, I thought we were all comrades in arms, fighting for a common cause."

"Now you're the cause." Wendell sighed and kissed her freckled nose. "It will be the same thing after you become Queen, only more so. Though I dare say some will be very offended by your new position."

"That I can bear because I've always borne it. The other feeling is new to me. Those wolves who died today, who went to fight because I went, were little more than strangers."

"You will make a good Queen," Wendell said, pushing back her red hair.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you will appreciate the gravity of your position. That was something I learned only after being turned into a dog."


	60. Chapter 60

**CHAPTER SIXTY**

**Trance**

Virginia woke up late that morning. With her eyes still closed, she reached out across the deliciously soft sheets for her husband. But he wasn't there. "Wolf?" she said, still groggy. She raised her head with difficulty. Her body was still exhausted from all the terrors of the night before. "Wolf?"

He was perched on the windowsill near her side of the bed, looking out hypnotically. He didn't answer her or even look around.

Virginia pulled herself out of bed and slipped into a robe. She rubbed her face sleepily as she padded over to him. "How long have you been up?" she asked.

Still Wolf didn't answer.

She threaded her arms around him and rubbed her face against his scratchy beard. "You want some breakfast?"

Again no answer.

Now Virginia was concerned. Wolf always responded to the idea of breakfast. She looked at his face. His eyes were staring, but they didn't seem to see anything. She said his name again. Then she turned his face toward her, to try and get him to look at her. He turned his head easily enough, but his eyes would not focus on her.

"Oh, my God," she said. This was obviously way beyond her. She reached for the bell cord and rang it.

The maid came in from the corridor at once. She had been expecting them to ring for breakfast at any time. Everyone else in that section had been taken care of. So, she was ready and waiting for their call. "Yes, Princess," the maid asked with a deep curtsy.

"Please," Virginia said. "My husband is very sick. He just sits there and doesn't respond. Go and fetch the doctor at once."

The young girl, glanced quickly at Wolf, who was now looking down aimlessly at the floor. He certainly didn't seem himself. He was usually such an animated chap. "I'll go immediately, Princess," the girl said. And with another curtsy, she exited.

Virginia returned immediately to her husband's side. She rubbed his back and said, "It'll be all right. I've sent for the doctor. He'll take care of you." Then she put her head on his shoulder and it suddenly occurred to her. Princess? That girl had called her "Princess."

After Queen Red was safely in Wendell's castle, Matilde joined Eranthis, Rupert, and Tony in the workshop.

"Good morning, gentlemen," she said. Her voice was very tired. The night and morning had been trying. Now there was the war to think of.

Tony jumped up from his seat respectfully the minute she walked in. Rupert did too but for a different reason. He was anxious for gossip.

"Well, did you save her?" Rupert asked. "You know who I mean. Red Riding Hood the Third. Did you save her?"

"Nothing's safe from you, is it Lord Rupert?" Matilde said. "Did you guess or did someone tell you?"

"I guessed, of course," Rupert said, quite proud of himself.

"It's a good thing the trolls did not."

Tony gestured Matilde toward his chair and she accepted it gratefully.

"Our people managed to save her from being burned in the courtyard in front of her castle."

"Oh, my word!" Rupert said, his face filled with shock.

"There were only three casualties. All of them wolves. They gave their lives valiantly so no one else would be hurt."

"Yes, that was very valiant," Rupert agreed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here before. But I had to be sure Red was taken care of. She's in with the Royal Physician now. I think she's been suffering a great deal." Matilde looked at Eranthis. "Leaf is with her. She'll be taking care of her so I can concentrate on this."

Eranthis gave a nod of understanding. Each member of the Council of Truth now had other duties to attend to. The cannons were their duty. Leaf Fall would be taking care of Red and the elves would be fighting at the front. Queen Cinderella and King Cole had left that morning for their own countries but would be in daily contact. Cole had pledged himself to back up the soldiers at the front in whatever way he could, with supplies and more troops.

"I looked for you this morning to give you this," Tony said, handing Matilde her cane. "But they told me you had other business."

"Well. That's all settled now. We can move onto other things."

"It bowed to me, you know," Tony said. "Your cane, I mean. I saw it standing on its own and then it bowed to me."

"Yes. It does have a mind of its own. And there are even certain people it doesn't like."

"Well, thank you for lending it to me. I feel like a new man."

"Good," Matilde said, smiling up at him. "You look much better than last night. The cane won't work on serious physical injuries like the ones Queen Red has. I suspect that if we hadn't rescued her today, she wouldn't have lasted much longer. My cane can only cure light injuries and soothe pain like it did last night with the Mirror of Truth. Its real talent is with the mind and the soul."

"The Royal Physician mentioned something about that," Tony said.

"He knows my cane well. It's quite legendary in some circles."

A knock sounded at the door of the workshop and the perfect butler came in. "Your Highness," he said addressing himself to Matilde with a sharp bow. "You asked to be notified if Princess Virginia requested the Royal Physician again."

"What's the matter?"

"The Prince's state is uncertain. He seems to have moved further into depression and shock."

"I'll go at once."

The butler clicked his heels and bowed silently out.

"It seems my cane has more work to do," Matilde said.

"I assume that Wolf is the Prince he was talking about," Tony said. "They're using their new titles already. Can your cane do more for him than the doctor can?"

"Oh, yes. A doctor of the mind from your world could cure him too. But it would take much more time and effort. My cane can reach Wolf on levels no one else can. And she can do much quicker."

"She?"

"Yes. It's very definitely a she. Lord Lewis, shall we go? I'm sure you gentlemen won't mind if we go to see Lord Lewis's daughter and son-in-law."

Eranthis nodded properly.

And Rupert said, "Oh, no. Of course not, your Highness!"

When Virginia heard the knock at her door, she assumed it was the doctor. "It's about time," she said, as she opened the door. But it wasn't the funny little doctor with the funny pointed beard. It was her father and a strange women in a glittery white gown with platinum blond hair.

"We heard that something was wrong with Wolf," Tony explained.

"Yes, Virginia said, leading the way into the room. "I asked for the doctor, but he still hasn't arrived. Look at Wolf," she said gesturing. He was in the same position that he'd been in when the maid had come. "He's in some kind of shock. I can't get him to respond to anything."

"Remember after your mother died? How you slept for so long?" Tony said. "Maybe this is his way of dealing."

"That's exactly it," Matilde said, closing the door.

"Virginia, this is Queen Matilde," Tony said. "I've told you about her."

"Yes." Virginia said, distractedly. She wasn't really in the mood to meet strangers just then. She wanted a doctor and she wanted one now.

"Matilde can take care of Wolf better than the doctor can," Tony said.

Virginia looked at Matilde doubtfully. But she was ready to try anything.

The first thing Matilde did was to approach Wolf. She ran her hand through his hair and said, "Do you remember me, Child? It's Queen Matilde. I know you can hear me. I want you to come and lie down on your bed. You can't stay here by the window. You need rest." She put her hand under his arm and pulled him gently up from the window. "That's it. Come along now." She walked him to the bed and then said, "Lie down now. Can you do that for me?"

Wolf sat himself on the bed. Then he swung his legs up and rolled into a ball like a frightened child. All the while, his eyes remained unseeing.

"That's right," Matilde said. She covered Wolf with the thick brown and red comforter on the bed. Then she took her cane and placed it in his hands. "You hold onto this now," she said. "You remember it from before, don't you? Hold it and let its power flow into you. Now relax. Don't hold yourself so tightly. Good. Close your eyes. And don't open them again, till you've worked all this out." She petted Wolf's hair again. "Sleep Child, sleep."

As Wolf began to drop off, his hands wrapped around the cane, Matilde pulled Virginia and Tony toward the door. "You don't have to worry about waking him. He'll sleep till he's worked things out. Virginia, you should ring the maid again and order some food. You need to keep up your strength in your condition. My cane will take care of your husband."

"It worked wonders for me," Tony said.

Virginia looked at her father. He appeared alert and energetic, as if none of last night had happened. "Well, thank you Queen Matilde," Virginia said.

"There are a few other things you need to know," Matilde said. And she told Virginia about the two rulings that the Council of Truth had made and their new titles.

"So that's why that maid called me Princess," Virginia said.

"Yes. You'll probably be getting a lot of that from now on."

Virginia rubbed her stomach. "And our son will be a prince?" It seemed almost too much to take in.

"That's right. I know the quest you went on was very hard for all of you. But it righted a great many wrongs." Matilde then told Virginia of the present war and Queen Red's rescue.

"A whole lot has been going on, hasn't it?" Virginia said. "I guess it wasn't just us going through hard times."

"No. And as we go forward with this war, we'd very much like Wolf to join us as we move your father's cannons into the battle against the giants."

"Oh, I don't think he'll be up to that."

"If he's not, he not. No one will blame him. You don't have to ask him, or explain any of these things I've told you. The cane will do that."

"You're kidding," Virginia said.

"No. I'm quite serious."

"It didn't say anything to me," Tony said.

"You didn't need it to. But Wolf will need a guide as he works things out. Did either of you realize that Wolf's foster parents made him to watch his parents burn?

"No!" Virginia said, in horror. "I didn't see that."

"They held at the edge of the wood, way out of view of everyone," Matilde said. "You were handling your own problems at that point. I'm not surprised you didn't see it. I didn't learn about it myself till sometime after you'd all gone to bed."

"How could they do that to him?" Tony asked. "He was just a little boy."

"They thought they were teaching him an important lesson," Matilde said. "I have no doubt the people who burned Wolf's parents thought they were teaching the local wolves a lesson as well. Such is the way of hate."

Virginia looked toward her husband. "No wonder he has so much to work out. He had to live it all over again. Why didn't he tell me."

"Perhaps," Matilde said. "Because if he did, he would have had to remember it himself. It's better this happened. My cane will help him heal. Now, we should be go, Lord Lewis. We have business to attend to."

"But how long will Wolf stay asleep?" Virginia asked.

"As long as he needs to. But it shouldn't be that long. The coming full moon increases the cane's energy, just as it does your husband's. A night may be all it needs. Actually, the fact that Wolf will have to go through two full moons this month may have made his condition worse. My cane will soften the effects from that as well. And the sleep itself will help. When Wolf gets upset, he tends to do without sleep, as he did when you were staying with Emerald. He used to circle her house all night long keeping an eye on things. Did you know that?"

"No, I didn't," Virginia said. "He just said he hung around there a lot."

"It was almost every night, all night. Of course his sleeplessness just increased his nervousness. He'd do far better if he had your ability to sleep things off, Virginia. Your father also seems to sleep more when he's depressed. I guess it runs in your family."

"How do you know all this about us?" Virginia asked.

"I know all of you very well, because I've been watching over you. Now, order some breakfast and get what rest you can. Don't forget, you have a little one to think of."

"It'll be all right, Honey," Tony said. "I promise." He gave his daughter an encouraging smile and followed Matilde out.

When they were gone, the ring on Virginia's hand started to sing the beginning of the lullaby it had sung so often when she was alone and fearful at Emerald's.

"A fairy queen does watch you sleep," it sang,

"And will tonight your safety keep."

"Then, it wasn't just a lullaby?" Virginia said.

"Alone you never were, you see," it continued.

"Her loving eyes were watching thee.

All through the night and through the day,

She never was that far away."

Outside in the hall, Tony hesitated and said, "Maybe I should stay with Virginia."

"Your concern for your daughter is quite admirable," Matilde said. "But she's a grown woman now with her own responsibilities. Hovering over her will only serve to get in the way. It would be nothing less than meddling."

Tony looked at Matilde. If anyone else had said that, he wouldn't have taken it. "Do you always say what you think?"

"Almost always. At my age one grows tired of going the long way round on every issue. Some things need to be said. Your daughter and Wolf have things to work out on their own. They don't need your meddling. And you have a job to do. It's afternoon. We have to finish planning and then test the cannons. They're going to be transported by magic traveling dust so we can surprise the giants. That's why I needed Alicia's father to work up a big supply of it. It's very difficult to make and requires very special ingredients. Not everyone is capable of doing it. But he is. I'm hoping he'll send me the supply we need by tonight. I've sent my carriage to pick it up."

"That's all very fine and good. But who's going to fire the things? We can't just send in untrained men."

"We're not. King Eranthis has a team of dwarves who've been studying the proper ways to handle your weapons. Anything you didn't write out for them, I fetched from your world. I hope you realize the tribute the dwarves are paying you, in both building and operating your machines."

"I do. Believe me, I do. I know how they felt about me after that little disaster I had in Dragon Mountain with the mirrors."

"Well, they haven't quite forgotten about that. They probably won't for a couple of hundred years. But they're a practical people and they know how to move on. Now, come. We have much to do." Matilde started away. But still Tony didn't follow.

"Matilde," he said, "Would you have dinner with me tonight?"

She turned and looked at him. "Yes," she said. "I'll meet you in the dining room at eight o'clock. Now, come. Eranthis and Rupert must be wondering where we are."


	61. Chapter 61

**CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE**

**Beginnings**

That evening as Tony dressed for dinner, he felt like a teenager going out on a first date with a girl from the grade ahead of him. He felt nervous, shy, and absolutely certain that she wouldn't like him. But Matilde did like him, didn't she? After all, she'd agreed to go to dinner with him. Or did she think maybe he wanted to discuss cannons or something like that? Maybe a romantic evening was the last thing she had in mind. Or maybe, she knew that's what he had in mind and wanted to tell him to get it out of his mind. After all, she was a queen and he was a former janitor.

Poor Tony ran through his wardrobe, throwing aside first this suit and then that for one vague reason after another. He didn't want to look too businesslike because he didn't want Matilde to think about business. And he didn't want to look too romantic because she might not be thinking about romance and it might put her off. He also didn't want to wear anything that looked too Lordish, because it might get her thinking about rank. And he didn't want to wear anything too casual for the same reason.

Finally, he chose a conservative dark suit, with a white shirt and burgundy pocket-handkerchief and tie. It was more Tenth Kingdom than Fourth. But he didn't think she'd mind. He checked himself in the mirror and started for the door, then he went back to check himself in the mirror again before he sighed deeply and walked out to meet his fate.

Tony succeeded in getting to the diningroom way ahead of Matilde. He'd wanted to get there first to make sure the headwaiter had followed his instructions and given them a table for two away from the long main table. That would cue her that his intentions were romantic, wouldn't it? Although it might serve just as well for a business meal. But there was a nice fall centerpiece and a bottle of wine and a dainty candelabra. The dinner, of course, was set. The kitchen was still making only one dish per meal because of the lack of people in the castle and on staff.

When the headwaiter seated him, Tony asked him to open the wine. Then he tapped his freshly shined shoes nervously under the table and watched the door with anxious wide eyes. It seemed like an eternity before Matilde finally walked in. She hadn't dressed up but was wearing the same gown that she'd been wearing all day. Tony's first thought was that that wasn't a good sign. When women were thinking romantic, didn't they tend to dress up?

"Sorry I'm late," Matilde said, as she swept over to the table.

Tony was on his feet in an instant. He gave her a little bow and a smile as the waiter helped her sit down.

"I was in contact with Alicia's father via crystal ball. His name is Brutus, if I haven't said it before. He's going to be able to send that magic traveling dust before the evening gets too late."

"Good," Tony said, sitting down.

"Wine?" the waiter asked.

"Yes, please," Matilde said. "What's on the menu for tonight."

The waiter told them about that evening's pasta dish. It was filled with dried meats and late season vegetables. A simple dish really, but the waiter described it in flowery terms with lots of adjectives.

"Sounds wonderful," Matilde said.

Tony gave the waiter a, "Thank you," as he filled his glass with wine. But he realized he was already feeling lightheaded without it.

"What's the appetizer?" Matilde asked.

The waiter described a vegetable soup with a tomato base in equally exciting terms. Evidently either he or the chef was a budding poet and they wanted the dinner to sound as good as it tasted.

"That will be fine," Matilde said.

"Yes," Tony agreed.

And, with a bow, the waiter was off.

"At least you got the chance to change," Matilde observed. "I've barely had a minute to call my own. Fairies don't need much sleep as a rule. But even I'm beginning to flag. I'm hoping to get at least a little rest tonight so I can be ready for our attack tomorrow. You look quite handsome though."

"Thank you," Tony said.

"I've seen you under many conditions. After rainstorms and rescues and even done up as a noveau riche Lord, all flashy and eager to please. Tonight, you seem to have found a new balance for yourself."

"Thank you…I think."

The waiter brought their soup at that point.

"I must tell you," Matilde said, after the waiter had gone. "I think you did outstandingly well with your quest. You dive unthinking into situations and do what you can, when other men would run away. That's bravery. I admire what you did."

"I was just taking care of my daughter."

"And your son-in-law. You know, if Wolf doesn't appreciate all you did for him and his younger self, I will personally make him sit down and watch the Mirror of Truth."

"Don't, please."

"There are several things he doesn't know, like how you stood up to the boys who chased him to and from school and how you faced down those two wolves. I could also show him the pictures of the two of you catching tadpoles and napping together by the creek. That afternoon was very much like the one he spent with Josiah."

"Is it?" Tony asked. He put down his spoon, but couldn't quite bring himself to look up at Matilde. She was trying to get him to open up to his full grown son-in-law in the same way he had done with the younger version. And he wasn't sure he could do that.

"You two will work this out. You'll probably always be at odds to some extent. But you will work this out."

"How can you be sure. You haven't worked things out with your stepdaughter Leaf Fall, have you. And you've known each other for what? Over a hundred years?"

"About a hundred and fifty. But you'll be glad to know we've definitely called a truce. In fact, during our time together on the Council of Truth, I think we've almost become friendly."

"Really?" Tony was looking at her now. He noticed the tired look in her eyes and the softness in her tone as she talked of Leaf Fall. When he'd left a few short weeks before, she'd been almost hostile to the elf.

"I think my husband Centaurea would be pleased to see how well his daughter and I are working together now."

"Your Highness," the waiter asked Matilde, "Are you finished with your soup?"

Matilde looked down at her half-finished appetizer and said, "Yes."

The waiter nodded and took away their soup bowls and replaced them with their main course.

"I hope you don't mind my asking," Tony said. "But what happened to your husband?"

"He died in the Magic War, in a final face off with the Evil Wizard Mazarin. He was trying to trick him into another dimension. And he used himself as bait. I was there."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"Oh no, it's common knowledge in the Nine Kingdoms."

"Were you very close?"

"Centaurea and I? Very. We could talk about everything. Although we didn't always agree. He's the one who taught me to be frank. He was very confident and lively. And he saw people as they were, but didn't hold it against them. His first wife, Leaf's mother, was human. She was more serious minded. Leaf actually takes after her on that, though she probably wouldn't believe me if I told her. I knew it was likely I would outlive Centaurea, because elves live about half the time that fairies do. But I at least expected to have over a hundred years with him."

"What's it like to live so long?"

"It's a blessing and a curse. You learn a lot, but most of the people you love die long before you do." Matilde put down her fork and leaned forward. "There are some who say fairies live so long because they are the oldest existing race. And over time everyone else will develop long life spans as well. There are others who think we're a dying race because we seem to be able to have so few children. It's also interesting to note that most of our race is female. That's why a group like the Ice Maidens grew to become what people in your culture might call Amazons. But I personally think we're predominantly female so that we can cross with other races and create new species. For instance, some say that elves are the result of a cross between a winged fairy and a dwarf. It also keeps us from becoming the most dominate of all species, which I think is healthy."

"Did you and Centaurea have any children?"

"No. Although I think we would have liked to. I can't say whether Leaf Fall would have agreed on that, though."

"So you have no children at all?"

Matilde bit her lip and looked down at her plate. "Actually, I had one. A daughter. A headstrong girl like Virginia. Her father was human and happily he didn't see what happened to her. She was murdered."

"Murdered?"

"Yes. Supposedly by a witch. But I have an idea that it was planned by someone else."

"By who?"

"Mazarin."

"Why?"

Matilde paused for a moment. "Because she wasn't his."

Tony's mouth dropped open and his fork clattered to his plate.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you. Hardly anyone knows about this. This was so long ago. Only Centaurea knew the whole story. And, of course, Mazarin. There are some aspects to it, I won't tell you till later."

"You can't stop there," Tony said, leaning forward. "You've got to tell me how this Mazarin guy figured in your life."

"We grew up together, in the cold climate of what was to become the Eighth Kingdom. My father had passed on long before. My mother was over nine hundred. Mazarin was descended from a complicated cross that included Ice Maidens, humans, witches, and wizards. He had several attributes of each. We were close when we were young. But then he became enamored with black magic and I lost interest in him. He kept pursuing me for a long time after, but it was pointless. I found Raphaela's father in another dimension. I was very young then, barely fifty. Mazarin was furious, but he didn't do anything at the time. When Raphaela was Virginia's age, she met a witch who tried to befriend her and get her to join her black cult. But Raphaela refused. She had a special gift for healing magic and the black arts were an anathema to her. The witch was furious and punished her by turning her into a vine and then petrifying her. I've always suspected Mazarin wanted to get back at me by luring Raphaela to become one of his followers. And when he couldn't do that, he destroyed her."

Tony swallowed hard. "And just where is this Mazarin now?"

"He's being held prisoner for all eternity in another dimension. It was Centaurea's final gift."

"And he can't get out?"

"Oh, no."

"That's a relief. I mean, he's caused you all so much grief." Tony looked at Matilde's plate. It was almost completely full. "You really should eat. Or don't fairies need much nourishment?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I've been talking too much." She picked up her fork and began working her way through the pasta with its cream based sauce. "How about you? It must have been hard when your wife left. And then to find her here and lose her again. I can't begin to imagine how you must have felt."

Tony's brown eyes looked down at his plate. "I guess you know all about it. Everybody in the Nine Kingdoms must know."

"Of course. Everybody knows who you and Virginia are. And what you did for the Nine Kingdoms. As you know, you're considered quite a hero. And," Matilde paused for effect. "I hear you traded on your celebrity rather well with the young ladies for a while."

"What did you hear?"

Matilde couldn't refrain from laughing. "That you were quite a cad."

"All right, all right. It's not funny. I was lonely, O.K.? I hadn't been attractive to women in a long time and suddenly I was famous and sought after. It was heady stuff. I had fun. But after a while it got kind of tired. Actually, I got tired. The war started just in time for me. It's not like I had a lot in common with those young women. And they basically saw me as a means to raise their social position, nothing more. The flirting was fun but there really couldn't be anything beyond that. I guess I waited too long after Christine left to find someone else. I kept hoping that somehow she'd return to her senses and come back to us. That proved to be a bigger fantasy than anything you've got going over here in the Nine Kingdoms. I was a sap. O.K.?" Tony took his napkin and threw it down on the table.

"No, you weren't," Matilde said, reaching out to touch his hand. "You were in love."

"And I was a sap."

"Maybe," Matilde said with a smile. "But you were a very loyal sap."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Matilde laughed again. "No. But you're really quite funny when you start feeling sorry for yourself."

"Thanks a lot."

"You start out with this hurt little boy look and then you go on to angry indignation. And then when you've succeeded in alienating everybody, you go back to that hurt little boy look."

"You know me pretty well, don't you?" Tony said. "I'm afraid you have the better of me there."

"Do I?"

"I can't read you as easily as you can read me."

"Not yet. But you were very good at sensing me, even when there was two hundred years between us. Virginia sees me as a total stranger, even though I know her very well. And Wolf didn't believe you when you said you were in contact with me."

"You heard that conversation? With me out there in the yard telling Wolf and Virginia how we'd been communicating?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't flash a light back when I needed you to? How could you leave me hanging like that? Looking like a total fool."

Matilde blushed slightly. "It was difficult at that moment. The entire Council of Truth was sitting there."

Tony noticed her blush. How could he miss it with her platinum hair and pale skin?

Matilde looked around distractedly, searching desperately for a way to change the subject. "It seems everyone else has gone," she said.

It was true. The great diningroom was empty. Even the waiter had departed. He'd seen that they hadn't finished their dinners and that they were heavily involved in talking. So, he figured they wouldn't be interested in desert.

"Shall we go for a walk?" Matilde suggested. "To the library or the tea room, perhaps."

"If you like."

They walked out of the diningroom and down the hall in the direction of the series of rooms at the back of the first floor. The library was lined floor to ceiling with books and cozy nooks. And the tearoom usually had a pot of tea waiting by the fire with a plate of cookies. As they walked, it seemed that no one else was around.

Matilde took Tony's arm in the polite fashion of the Nine Kingdoms. But somehow he found himself pulling her closer and taking her hand in his free one. She curled in against him comfortably till her head was almost on his shoulder.

"You know," he said, "It really broke my heart when Warren went off with those wolves. I would have done anything if I could have stopped it. And now, knowing what they did to him. He was such a sweet little boy. He didn't deserve that."

"He's not dead, you know. He's just upstairs sleeping."

"He's not a little boy anymore. He's a man."

"Maybe," Matilde said. "But there's a lot of little boy in every man. Of course, maybe it's only women who can see it. It's more obvious at certain times than at others."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when Wolf looks at your daughter, his face lights up and I can see that eager little boy you cared so much about, looking out hopefully at her. It's quite charming. And you. You take on that special look of innocence when you sleep, even when you snore. Which you do incessantly!"

Tony stopped and looked down at her. "Really? Just how often did you watch me sleep?"

Matilde started to blush again.

Tony gently lifted her face and found himself pulling her toward him. He was yearning to kiss her and feel her fully up against him.

But it was not to be. From around the corner they heard the quick clippity clip of Lord Rupert's footsteps. From the sounds of it, he was in a serious hurry. It totally ruined the moment. They ended up separating like young adolescents about to be caught in a compromising situation by the principal.

"There you are!" Rupert called, flinging his arms into the air. "The headwaiter said you might have come in this direction. Your Highness, the package you were waiting for from Prince Brutus has just arrived. I knew you'd want to be notified immediately."

"Yes," Matilde said, smoothing some imaginary wrinkles out of her dress. "I suppose I should see to it. Why don't you both get some rest. We have a war to go to tomorrow."

"You should get some rest too," Tony said.

"I'll try. With any luck, this won't take too long. Goodnight, gentlemen."

"Goodnight," Tony said.

"Goodnight, your Highness," Rupert called with a wave. He was so pleased with the way he was getting along with her lately.

"Oh, and Lord Lewis," Matilde said, turning back. "To answer your question. It was quite a lot." And with that she was gone.

Tony's heart skipped a beat. She'd watched him sleep. A lot. Enough to know how much he snored. Christine used to complain about that. She said it kept her up at night. And she'd used it as an excuse to sleep in another room. But Matilde had watched him do it on purpose. That meant the intimacy he'd felt between them those nights when he'd talked to her through the talisman hadn't been his imagination. "You know, Rupert," he said. "You've got rotten timing."


	62. Chapter 62

**CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO**

**Dreams**

Through that whole day and into the night, Virginia had stayed by Wolf's side. She ate as Matilde recommended, having trays sent to their room. And she sat on the bed next to him, touching him and smoothing back his hair. He moved reflexively from time to time and emitted little growls. Otherwise, he was completely still. When bedtime came, she curled up next to him and slept fitfully, waking up at any sound he might make. Still he slept on.

When Wolf first fell asleep, it was as if the world closed over him. He felt and heard nothing. Then he became aware of himself, lying on the ground in a gray place. There was a mist in the air, but it was very faint. It seemed as if he'd woken up. But he knew he hadn't. He jumped from the ground and looked into the gray emptiness. "Virginia?" he said. But there was no answer.

Then all of a sudden a leafless white vine started growing on the ground toward him. It grew and grew, branching up, twining in on itself many times, till it stood at his height. In the center, he became aware of a presence. It was a young woman with platinum blond hair, pulled up into a curly mass at the back of her head.

"You are in pain," the young woman said. "Let me help. You must go into yourself and see what you've suffered."

"No," Wolf said.

"You must. I will shield you."

With that, the white vine disassembled itself and crawled away. Wolf followed, not knowing why. When they came to a stop, he saw a series of three dimensional images appear before him. He was part of them, but not part of them, all at the same time. The vine wove itself up to his height again, slightly to one side. It stood between him and the visions.

"This is who you are and the world you came from," the woman said. I will stand between you and the pain, so you can see."

With that, the images in front of Wolf became clearer. He saw himself as a young cub at home with his parents and siblings. He saw himself going to school and being chased by the human boys.

"You had one would-be protector," the woman said.

And the scene before them showed Tony with young Warren, shielding him from the cruel boys and the wolves that would eventually become his foster parents. Then it showed them at the creekside enjoying each other's company.

"Too bad he came along after this pain had already occurred, so you cannot remember it," the vine woman said. "But he was also there when you needed him later."

The scene now changed to Tony talking fast and getting rid of the men who had attacked Wolf when he'd tried to save his parents at their house. Then it followed Tony as he pulled Wolf away from the fire that had killed Scarlet and Josiah. It ended as his father-in-law sent him back to the present with Virginia, giving him his own talisman for the journey.

"It seems you are uneasy allies with more closeness than either of you will admit to."

Then the scene focused in on the confrontation between Wolf's mother Scarlet and her sister Ruby. He heard his mother threatening to apply for succession for her children, even as she spoke of the throne as something she didn't want for them. At the end, the scene swirled into a warm spring green. And he saw Scarlet walking towards him. She recognized him in his full-grown self. Her smile was warm and loving.

"Thank you for trying to rescue us," Scarlet said. "I'm sorry I didn't know who you and Virginia were. How can I tell you how proud your father and I are of you? You defeated your own pain. And more than one cruel plot. You and your sister are the pride of our family. It's right that you should carry my name and station. Believe how much I love you. And how glad I am that you survived."

Wolf reached out hand to touch his mother. But she began to fade.

"See what your work has begun," the vine woman said.

And the scene transformed before them. Scarlet had gone. They were now watching the Council of Truth as it came to it's two rulings.

"What you did will benefit many," the woman said. "Now remember your days with your foster parents."

Wolf saw himself as an adolescent next, still hated by the human children in school. He saw how he fell in with questionable groups who accepted him but had much anger to work out.

"Remember what you did," the woman said. "The things you are not proud of. The actions you have not even told your wife about."

Darker images rose up now. They were from the years after he left his foster parents. Wolf watched in horror as everything he'd been trying to forget replayed before him. He remembered his fear, his desperation, and his willingness to say and do anything to survive.

"Remember them and learn," the woman said.

The darker images started to fade away. And Virginia's face appeared instead.

"There are other things you must know as well. There is a war outside and it waits for you to join, dressed in the brown color of your people."

Virginia's sweet face melted away. It was replaced by a scene depicting the difficulties of the present war with the trolls and the giants. Wolf saw the Second Kingdom taken and the day and night fighting at the four borders. Finally, he saw Queen Red Riding Hood's rescue.

"Your father-in-law is going to join this fight. But they need the help of Red Riding Hood's grandson as well," the woman said. "Will you go?"

Wolf didn't answer.

"There is one more here who wants to speak with you," the woman said.

Out of a purple haze the Evil Queen appeared. She walked toward him with all the single-mindedness that he remembered. Like his mother, she also seemed recognize him.

"Remember," the Evil Queen said. "You are a wolf. You must do what a wolf does. And that means you must protect your home and family. Take care of my daughter." And with that, she dissolved away.

"So what will you do?" the vine woman asked. "Will you heal and go on?"

Wolf suddenly realized that he was crying. For how long, he didn't know. He couldn't speak, but he nodded his head yes.

"Good," the woman said. "I will heal you. And tomorrow, there is one you must speak to, so her healing can begin as well."

With that the vine slowly twined itself around him, covering him entirely. A strange peace came over Wolf. And the pain drained away. The vine then unraveled and released him.

"Sleep now," the woman said. "In the morning you will be healed."

"Who are you?" Wolf asked.

"My name is not important. But my work is."

"Who are you?" Wolf asked again.

"I was called Raphaela." And with that she was gone.

For the rest of the night Wolf slept quietly, with Virginia clinging to his side. In the morning his first stirrings woke her.

"Wolf?" Virginia said. She ran her fingers over his face tenderly. "Are you all right."

He swallowed. "Yes," he said, almost surprised to hear the sound of his voice.

"I was so worried. Are you all right?"

"I think so."

"You seem strange."

"I'm still there," Wolf said.

"Where?"

"Wherever I was."

Virginia moved her body against his and rested her head on his chest. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he said. Wolf held her close for a long time. "I've got to go," he said at last.

"What?" Virginia said.

"To fulfill my destiny."

Virginia didn't know what to say. She moved aside as he got up and dressed himself, leaving the cane where it was on the bed.

"I need to wear brown," he said. He pulled through his few items of clothing and came up with a brown shirt he'd worn to the past and his old khaki pants.

"Where are you going?"

"To join the war."

"Wolf!"

"I have to."

Virginia got up and stood in front of him. "Maybe you should wait till you're feeling better."

"No. I left Rose to handle it. Now it's time to join her. It won't take long, I think. My place is there. It's a Prince's job to defend his country."

"Then you heard everything we said yesterday."

"No. Raphaela told me."

"Who?"

"The spirit of the cane. She also told me that your father is going too."

"My father? No way!"

"Yes. I have to go too."

"If you're going downstairs, I'm coming with you," Virginia said. She wanted to keep an eye on him. "Wait for me!"

Wolf picked the cane up off the bed and headed for the door. "No. I'll meet you downstairs. There's someone I've got to see." And with silent steps, he left her.


	63. Chapter 63

**CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE**

**Departures**

Wolf went to the morning room on the second floor, at the front of the castle. He had a feeling he would find Red Riding Hood the Third there and he did. She was seated in a large chair in front of one of the windows in the corner, wrapped in a collection of blankets to protect her from the cold. Queen Leaf Fall would have preferred it if she'd stayed in bed. But Red had insisted upon seeing the sunrise. After so many days locked away in a dungeon, she needed to see the sun.

Her state wasn't much better than Wolf's had been the day before. She lived, yet she did not. Though she was grateful to have been rescued, her pain was great. She knew of Ichabod's death, of what he had done for her, and his last words. Rose had insisted to Wendell that he relay this information because she felt it was the Queen's right to know. And her duty to Ichabod.

Red felt a great loss in Ichabod's dying. Just before the trolls had taken him away, she'd been wishing she had a real name, so she could have asked him to use it. But she didn't have one. Not really. Red Riding Hood the Third was her title, not her name. And she wasn't sure if she was worthy of it anymore.

Wolf stepped up to her quietly and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty?"

Red slowly looked up at him. Her old self would have railed at him indignantly for approaching her unbidden. But that woman no longer existed. Leaf Fall had told her about the Council of Truth's rulings. So, she knew Wolf now stood in line as the first heir to her throne. That is, if there was a throne and a Second Kingdom. At the moment, there wasn't. She also knew that his sister had been present among her rescuers. There were so many things she could have said to him. But what she said was, "Doesn't the rising sun look beautiful?"

Wolf looked out the window with its heavy curtains drawn back to welcome the first light of day. "Yes, it is."

"Are you going to join the fight?" Red asked, still looking at the horizon. She couldn't take her eyes off its light and colors.

"Yes. They're bringing a new weapon today to fight the giants."

"Good. I wish you luck."

"I was asked to give you this," Wolf said, handing her the cane. "It's Queen Matilde's. It has healing powers."

Red looked down at the white petrified vine, but made no move toward it.

"Take it," Wolf said. "Hold it in your hands. It will help you sleep and heal."

Slowly, tentatively, Red reached out her hand and wrapped her bruised fingers around it.

Wolf touched her shoulder gently and said, "Be well." Then he turned and started from the room.

"Return safely," Red said, still watching her window.

Wolf paused for a moment as if he wished to say something else. But instead he left Red to her rest.

Virginia got downstairs as quickly as she could. She had no idea who Wolf had gone to see. And she wished she'd made him tell her before he'd left.

As early as it was, the castle was humming with dwarves and elves. The dwarves would be firing the ten cannons and the elves would transport everyone and protect them from the air while they were reloading. They'd all been up a long time, eating a hearty breakfast and then moving the cannons to the courtyard where they could make a dignified and splashy disappearance.

Matilde and Eranthis moved among them all, giving last minute instructions. Lord Rupert hopped around excitedly. But Virginia didn't see Tony. She was wandering through the crowd in the great hall at the foot of the main staircase, wondering what to do next when Matilde came over to her.

"Princess Virginia," Matilde said. "I was just coming to see you. How is Wolf feeling this morning?"

"He seems to be better. I mean, he's walking and talking and all. But when he woke up he just started talking about going off to the war. Then he ran off to talk to someone before I could stop him. Have you seen him?"

"No. But knowing Wolf, I'd suggest you try looking for him in the kitchen and diningroom. He may have gone down the back stairs in that direction."

"It would be nice if I could find him there. At least then I'd know he was feeling better."

Matilde laughed. She knew exactly what Virginia meant. "He'll be fine, I promise. The cane may have had some lingering effect on him. But it should be gone by now. The kitchen is where you'll find him, I'm sure."

"Is it true my Dad is going to this war?"

"Very true," Matilde said with a judicial nod. "I'm not sure he's entirely confident about it. But I promise you, he won't be out on the field of battle alone."

"But he's doesn't have any experience with war."

"No. And neither did Wolf when he went. Or Rose either for that matter. And she's become a very effective commander. For the most part, your father and Wolf are going as representatives. Wolf is taking up arms for the Second Kingdom as its new Prince and heir. And your father is going because we're using his invention. Believe me, if not for your condition, we would be utilizing you in this battle as well."

"Me?"

"Oh, yes. Instead, I have another job for you. As a Princess, you will be expected to perform some duties, you know." Matilde put her arm around Virginia and led her in the general direction of the diningroom. "After we're gone, I want you to go to Queen Leaf Fall. You know who she is, don't you?"

Virginia gave a deep sign and said, "She was at Wendell's coronation. But I'm not sure she likes me."

"She was just embarrassed at having been fooled so easily by the dog-prince. But believe me, that coronation was a long time ago. Queen Leaf Fall knows you very well now, even if you do not know her. She is the Vice President of the Council of the Nine Kingdoms and served with us on the Council of Truth. She's seen all your adventures in the past. So, she knows you very well."

"It's strange having people know you when you don't know them."

"I know. But the only way to get over that is to jump in and get acquainted. Now. After we leave, Leaf will be handling all the duties of the Council and the coordination of the war by herself. Only Wendell's Chancellor will be here to help her. And believe me, he has his own duties to attend to. She's also supposed to keep an eye on Queen Red Riding Hood the Third. But I think you should put most of that burden on that excellent butler with the shiny shoes who always seems to be floating about. Anyway, Leaf is the type who's too proud to ask for help. It would be good if you could look in on her after we go this morning. It's at that point that she'll start to realize just how much she's taken on. But don't overdo things and don't try to keep up with the hours she pulls. Elves don't need anywhere near as much sleep as expectant human mothers."

Virginia was surprised at how much warmth she felt from Matilde. Almost as much as she had from Snow White. "All right. I'll look in on her as soon as you've gone. Anyway, I'm glad for the assignment. I'd been imagining myself spending my time like when Wolf went off to defend Kissing Town. Taking lonely walks in the woods and waiting for some troll to throw magic dust on me again."

Matilde laughed. "Oh, let's hope not. Just don't let Leaf push you around."

"I won't."

"I think you two will work very well together. And she already respects you."

"Again, I can't tell you how weird that is."

"It's nothing less than you deserve. Now, go and find your husband. I'll bet he's in the kitchen. I'm just about to give the word for everybody to go outside."

"All right. Thank you Queen Matilde."

"Matilde, Child. You can call me Matilde. I hate to stand on formality. Except with certain people."

With a smile, Virginia headed for the kitchen.

"Lord Rupert," Matilde said, giving him a wave.

Rupert was at her side in second. "Yes, your Highness."

"Tell everyone it's time."

"At once, your Highness," he said with excitement. Clapping his hands for attention, he called out loudly, "Everyone! We're leaving! Everyone in the courtyard at once!" And he ran off down the corridor toward the diningroom and the kitchen beyond, his voice still echoing as he ran.

Virginia found Wolf in the kitchen just as Matilde had predicted, eating bacon off a plate by the stove.

"Oh!" Wolf said, chewing fast. "I was just looking for you!"

"But it seems you found the bacon first," Virginia said, laughing with relief.

"I was just grabbing up a few pieces. Then I was going to continue my search." Wolf picked up several pieces and swallowed them down.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Well, at least you seem more like yourself."

"Never better. I've made my peace with the world and I'm ready for action. Are you still unhappy about my going?"

"No. I guess not," Virginia said with a sigh. "I've got work to do here. But that bed is going to be awfully empty while you're gone." She snuggled into his chest and he put his arms around her.

"You don't have to tell me. Sleeping alone. Eating army rations. I wonder how my sister Rose is taking it. I feel so guilty for leaving her. She probably stayed there because she felt some family responsibility too."

"Well, if she wants to come back here, I'll be happy to have her."

"No, she's a princess now. She'll probably feel obliged to be there."

Virginia nodded and gave Wolf a kiss. "Give Rose my best."

"Everyone! We're leaving! Everyone in the courtyard at once!" Lord Rupert yelled, sticking his head into the kitchen.

"Oh," Virginia said. "I don't want you to go."

"I don't either. I'd much rather stay here with you."

"There's gonna be another full moon tonight," she said wistfully.

"I know. Two in one month. And I'm wasting it at a battlesight."

Virginia tidied her husband's shirt and they moved out of the kitchen, their arms around each other. "Well, if you wolves can't win during a full moon, there's no hope for us."

"That's true," Wolf agreed.

Tony was just outside the castle at the very top of the white marble stairs. He was watching all the dwarves and elves milling around, still amazed that he was going. The cannons, his creations, had been tested and were all in readiness. He hoped they would work against the giants. He'd thought of them originally as a method of castle crashing. But he supposed they'd work in a David vs. Goliath sort of combat. Especially if the giants had no idea what was happening. He was so engrossed in thought, he hardly noticed Matilde's appearance at his side.

"Having second thoughts?" Matilde asked.

"No," Tony said, standing up to his full height and straightening his navy uniform with it's brass buttons. "I'm just amazed I'm doing this."

"You look good in a uniform," Matilde said, brushing imaginary dust from his bronze epaulets.

"Can you believe they made me a Captain?"

Matilde laughed. "Well, don't let it go to your head."

"Don't worry, I won't." Tony looked at her with wide brown eyes. "I won't see you for a long time," he said.

"It may not be that long."

"I wish I still had that talisman now, so we could communicate."

"Oh, wait," Matilde said. And she started going through a hidden pocket in her skirt. "I do have something. These full skirts hold a multitude of things. Ah, here we are." She pulled out a pair of mirror medallions. Each was about three inches in diameter. "Take this," she said, handing one to Tony.

"What is it?"

"A magic mirror. My coachman and I sometimes wear them, so we can communicate. You'll be able to see me and talk to me at the same time."

Tony ran his fingers over the bronze edges. "Too bad I didn't have this when I was in the past."

"It wouldn't have worked across time. You can contact me on it whenever you want to. But it works best at the rise of the moon. You be careful," she said.

"You do the same."

At that point, Tony and Virginia came out of the castle behind them.

"Dad," Virginia said. "I've come to see you off." She gave him a kiss and said, "You look good in a uniform."

"Thank you," Tony said.

"I'm glad you found each other," Matilde said. "You're looking much better, Wolf."

"Much better," Wolf said, hugging his wife to his side. "Oh, I almost forgot. Queen Matilde, I gave your cane to Queen Red Riding Hood the Third. Raphaela asked me to."

Tony started at the name, but Matilde gave no hint of anything.

"That makes sense," Matilde said. "Though I shall miss it at the front. Thank you for telling me, Wolf."

"Well, we better be going," Wolf said.

"Just one more kiss," Virginia said. And she slipped into her husband's arms for one long lingering kiss, their bodies entwining with a comfortable intimacy. "Come back soon," she said with a sigh.

"And take care of the little one," Wolf said, putting his hand on her growing stomach. "I'll try and get one of the elves to take me back by magic so I can get here quick. Come on, Tony."

"Uh, you go ahead," Tony stammered. He wasn't quite ready to leave Matilde yet.

But Wolf wasn't about to let Tony pester Matilde with his unwanted attentions. "Now, now," Wolf said, grabbing Tony's arm and pulling him backwards down the stairs. "Don't bother Queen Matilde anymore. We've got a job to do."

"Bye, Dad," Virginia said.

Tony waved at his daughter and went along with Wolf, looking more than a little unhappy. Virginia waved and went back into the castle to find Queen Leaf Fall. Matilde, now alone, went down and joined her group.

All four groups were now standing ready with their cannons. At least they were for a moment. When he got to his group, Tony put the medallion that Matilde had given him around his neck. Then he looked at it thoughtfully. Suddenly he broke ranks and headed determinedly for Matilde's group. Wolf saw him go, but decided he had done all he could to keep his father-in-law from looking foolish. From now on, he was on his own.

Tony took Matilde by the arm and led her away. "I can't leave without asking you," he said. "Raphaela. I thought you said that was your daughter's name."

Matilde turned her back so no one else could see or hear her words. But she needn't have worried. Everyone else was too involved in watching King Eranthis. His group was the first to go. He raised his hand and gave the signal to the elves in his company. They threw up the travel dust. It held in the air for a moment. And then the whole group disappeared.

"Raphaela was her name," Matilde said. "Or rather, it is."

"Then, the cane is your daughter?"

"In a sense. I told you, Raphaela was turned into a vine by a witch. And the vine was petrified. It broke my heart when we found her leafless and white. But I didn't move her. I thought it best that she stay where she was. Then she came to my mother in a dream. My mother was still alive then and comfortably over 900. The longer we live, the more powerful we become. My mother was a very powerful fairy, even as her physical abilities began to dwindle. It's said that fairies don't completely die, that their energy goes on, often living in inanimate objects."

Behind them Wolf's group was getting ready. His troop was next because they wanted to go in an irregular pattern. That way the tall giants couldn't accidentally see the cannons appear at a nearby border.

Matilde went on. "Raphaela's energy reached out to my mother and asked if she would help her continue her calling as a healer. My mother agreed because it would give Raphaela's short life a purpose. She went to the petrified vine and cut the heart out of it. Then she gave it to me. Ever since, we've been together. Yet, we're no long really mother and daughter. Raphaela is not the same as she was. Just as Snow White is not. Raphaela has lived in and through my cane these past four hundred odd years. But she has a mind of her own and a destiny apart from mine. We are together, yet separate. We communicate only in dreams, very infrequently."

Wolf gave the elves in his group the signal. And his elves threw the magic dust up in the air. It held for a moment and then they too disappeared.

Tony's group now began to get ready. But he was, of course, too busy to notice.

"You're the only living person who knows this," Matilde said. "At first I tried to keep it a secret because I was afraid some cohort of Mazarin's might try to destroy what was left of her. But now, I doubt if anyone else would remember Raphaela's name or relationship to me. It was such a long time ago."

"I'm sorry," Tony said.

"Don't be. We are both living as we were meant to."

"Lord Lewis?" Rupert called. "We're ready!"

But Tony ignored him.

"You should go," Matilde said.

"Yes." There was a moment of hesitation. Then Tony pulled Matilde into his arms and kissed her, not caring who saw. He held her tight against him and kissed her hard and fully, with a passion he hadn't known in a long time. They were both breathless as they pulled apart.

"We really should go," Matilde said. But she remained in Tony's embrace.

He ran his fingers over her face, trying to remember how good she felt and how wonderful it was to have her face so close to his. He kissed her again, softer this time. And enjoyed the sensation of her kissing him back. "All right," he said at last. "You be careful."

"You too."

Tony returned to his group, past the dwarves who had carefully averted their eyes. And the elves who couldn't help but gape. Lord Rupert was so surprised, he was speechless. Tony acted nonchalant, as if kissing famous queens were an everyday part of his life. He gave the signal and the elves responded. The magic dust held in the air for a moment and then they too disappeared.

"Well," Queen Matilde said, returning to her group. "I guess that just leaves us. Gentlemen, ready yourselves." She put the second medallion around her neck. Then she too raised her hand and they disappeared.


	64. Chapter 64

**CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR**

**Goliath Falls**

At the border of the First Kingdom, fighting was already well underway. Marron the redheaded giant was pummeling his way through the lines of Cinderella's troops, staving off the pureblooded wolves that snapped at him and waving aside the pesky elves in the air. His armor made it harder for the archers to do much damage. On the ground Blabberwort the troll and her people were heavily engaged in hand to hand fighting with the First Kingdom's foot soldiers. Trolls knew how to fire arrows. But as weapons go, they usually frown on them. They preferred the battle-ax because they found the body to body fighting style more satisfying.

When Eranthis and his two cannons arrived on the scene, they appeared slightly behind the front on the side of the First Kingdom. They arranged themselves as necessary with two dwarves standing at each cannon. One was in charge of firing, the other was in charge of ammunition. Eranthis stood between. And the seven elves that had come with them took to the air or made themselves useful as necessary.

Carpathian, the wolf who had fought by Wolf's side in the beginning, was on hand. He was now in charge of all the wolf troops in the First Kingdom's army. When he saw all was in readiness with the cannons, he gave a special howl signal decided on the night before. Then he waited.

In the thick of the fighting, Marron the giant and Blabberwort the troll, didn't notice Carpathian's howl. But the other wolves did. They didn't answer it because it might have aroused suspicion. Instead they began falling back. The human soldiers from the First Kingdom knew to give way when they saw the wolves moving back. And the elves in the air, could already see the cannons.

Marron, however, didn't have a clue what the two iron contraptions facing in his direction were. He saw the elves and dwarves milling about as he got closer. But he wasn't much impressed. He thought he was having a hot streak, thrashing all comers and basically looking like a great warrior.

Then, Eranthis yelled, "Fire!"

The blast of the cannons wasn't immediate. There was a slight break between the time the fuse was lighted and the explosion took place. But since Marron wasn't paying any attention, it didn't matter. When the two cannons went off, he looked up in time to see two black balls hurtling toward him. He couldn't think fast enough to move. So they hit him, harder than he would have thought possible. One got him in the chest near the right shoulder and the other hit his right arm. The impact threw him way back on top of several of Blabberwort's unfortunate trolls. Marron hit the ground (and the trolls) with a tremendous THUD! He wasn't dead. But he was badly wounded. His armor hadn't been enough protection against this new fearsome weapon.

Blabberwort and her trolls stood stunned and speechless. The human and elf troops cheered the giant's downfall and the dwarves looked on solemnly. But Carpathian immediately gave the howl to attack. He was an old and wise wolf who knew the hesitation of the trolls was a great opportunity and he didn't want to lose it. Immediately, the wolves sprang to. They charged the trolls and turned them back. In a moment, Cinderella's regular troops and the elves in the air took up the pursuit as well.

By this point, Marron was sitting up nursing his right arm.

"Move in," Eranthis said.

And the elves on his team sprinkled traveling dust over the cannons and their operators. In the wink of an eye they moved into position for a second strike against the giant. Matilde knew the cannons would be too heavy to transport quickly without extra help. That's why she'd had Prince Brutus prepare so much extra magic dust for them.

"You have two choices," Eranthis announced loudly to Marron the giant. "Either you return to your beanstalk and never come back, or I will give the order to fire again." He gave the giant this option because, truth be told, what kind of facilities did any of the kingdoms have to keep a prisoner of such monumental proportions?

Marron rubbed his bulbous nose. It was bleeding. "I go!" he said in a small voice. Of course to all the smaller creatures gathered around him on the ground, it sounded as if he spoke with a great roar. But to another giant, it would have seemed small indeed.

"Good," Eranthis yelled. "A wise decision. These elves will follow you to make sure you keep your word. If you don't, we'll come after you."

The seven elves in Eranthis's troop rose into the air and waited. Marron slowly pulled himself off the ground. It was hard without the use of his right arm. He was already worrying about how he was going to climb his beanstalk. But somehow, he would. This was humiliating, to have a gang of little people do this kind of damage to you. He would never again be able to lift his head up in polite giant society.

When Wolf's detachment appeared behind the front near the border between the Second and Fourth Kingdom, he found his sister Rose waiting. She came over to him at once. But she didn't give him the happy smile he thought she might, or rush over and hug him. She was engaged in serious work and she was correspondingly serious. Because Wolf had been away from the field of battle so long, she and Wendell were more in charge of this maneuver than Wolf was.

In the fields ahead of them, Wolf could hear the thrashing and crashing of Spider and Demetrius dealing each other mighty blows.

"Wendell is within sight of the action," Rose said. "There's a handful of troops battling the trolls at the scene and he's keeping watch like usual. When I give the signal, Demetrius will allow himself to be beaten down. At that point, Wendell and our troops will start acting panic-stricken. Wendell will run here immediately as decoy. If they want to capture him, they'll have to follow him. And one of the wolves will give a call that will be interpreted as retreat. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Wolf said.

"Good, I will stand a little in back of you, in case I need to give the wolves a command."

"Yes, Major!" Wolf said, half trying to be funny.

But his sister didn't notice his lame attempt at levity. After all, her fiance was putting himself in grave danger. She couldn't afford levity.

Thus chastened, Wolf cleared his throat and turned to business. "Is everyone ready?" he asked his company.

"Ready," the dwarves manning the three cannons said.

"Yes," the thirteen elves in their crew answered.

Rose gave the signal, howling long and loud because Demetrius and Spider were farther away from them than Marron had been from Eranthis's company. They needed the extra distance because the two struggling giants needed more room to play out their scene.

Demetrius heard Rose's call and knew what it meant. He allowed Spider to knock him over. Then, as he struggled to rise, Spider hit him down and Demetrius pretended to pass out. The danger here was if Spider tried to finish him off. That's why Wendell's fearful departure and the second wolf howl that sounded like retreat were so important. They were hoping that Burley would be more interested in capturing King Wendell, than he would be in killing Demetrius. Luckily they were right. Burly was still mourning the loss of Queen Red Riding Hood the Third and he was greedy for another big capture. When Burly saw Demetrius go down, his sharp eyes also noticed Wendell running away and his troops sounding retreat.

Spider had his battle-ax raised to bring it down on Demetrius's head when Burly ran in and started beating his battle-ax against his boot.

"No, no!" Burly said, "Catch the King! Wendell is the one we want. Leave him till later!"

Spider gave Burly a look of irritation. He was getting tired of the little troll giving him orders and acting so superior. Especially when it was Burly's stupidity that had let Queen Red get away. Spider wished Burly had let him eat her when he'd wanted to. Still, running after Wendell was the sensible thing to do. Catch the king, catch the kingdom. Everyone knew that. So, with a groan, he went off.

Wendell had a good start and he was young and fit. Spider came quickly after him, but not at a run. He didn't see any need for exertion. He walked over a little hill and saw a group of dwarves and elves milling about behind these three black things. Wendell ran to a female that was slightly behind this group. He embraced her and stood waiting. In front of them Wolf watched for the right moment.

It was true that at this point Rose knew more about war than Wolf did. But in this instance he didn't need to. All he needed was a predator's instinct of when to strike.

First, you try not to move or alarm your prey. "Wait," Wolf said to his detachment. And to the elves, "No flying." And they waited, sensing that he knew what he was doing.

Second, you keep a very careful eye on your prey. "Watch," Wolf said. And the company watched as Spider moved toward them.

Spider thought they were all terror stricken at seeing him approach. So, he slowed himself down just slightly in order to enjoy it.

Third, you wait for your prey to get closer, not betraying your plan in the slightest. "Wait," Wolf told his company. And their eyes raised higher and higher as the giant got nearer.

Wolf knew there was a hesitation between the time the cannons were lit and the time they exploded. Lord Rupert had searched him out that morning at Matilde's request and explained certain cannon issues to him between the time he'd visited Queen Red and before Virginia had found him nibbling bacon in the kitchen. So, Wolf knew to give the order to "Fire!" just before he felt his instincts say, "Pounce."

The explosion of the three cannons was deafening. Spider was startled by the immense sound and came to a stop. That was the wrong choice. The three cannon balls found their targets better than those of King Eranthis did because Wolf had allowed Spider to get so close. One ball hit Spider full in the chest, one hit him in the face, and the third hit his neck. When he hit the ground, Spider was dead.

Burly was so shocked he couldn't even bring himself to say, "Suck an elf." He stood motionless like his followers, trying to understand what he was seeing.

Wendell's troops cheered and howled. Wolf turned around to yell his congratulations to Rose and saw her and Wendell locked in a passionate kiss. It was just about the last thing he expected to see. And from the familiar way they clung to each other, it was obviously not their first kiss. This was just the beginning of Wolf's feeling that he was Rip Van Winkle. That he had somehow been asleep and woken up after a long time to find the world totally changed.

After she and Wendell pulled apart, Rose gave a howl and a detachment of wolves took off after the trolls, with the human soldiers and the elves not far behind. Wendell followed the battle and Rose stayed behind. Burly and his group tried hard to fight back. But the giant Demetrius was on his feet again, knocking troll soldiers over with the end of his long stick. In a very little while, the battle was well out of sight as Wendell's troops chased the trolls back over the original border of the Second Kingdom.

Wolf told his cannon crew to relax. It didn't look as if they would be needed for a while.

Rose came to Wolf's side and gave him the sisterly hug that he'd expected earlier. "So, how does it feel to be a prince?" she asked.

"Fine," Wolf said quickly. But he had no interest in discussing their new titles. Not when there was more important stuff going on. "How long has THAT been going on?" He gestured back at the spot where Rose and Wendell had been kissing.

Of course, this question made no sense to Rose. She looked back and saw two dwarves talking. "What?" she asked.

Wolf leaned in and whispered, "You and Wendell."

"You don't have to whisper. Everyone knows about it. We're engaged. Of course he wants to ask my older brother to make it official. But I trust you will say yes."

"I don't believe it. How did this happen?"

"Well we were both attracted for a long time. And being around each other so much in the war, we just got closer. Then, on the night I beat up this soldier from King Cole's army, things just started happening."

"Wait a minute. You beat up a soldier?"

"Well, he started it. He called me something nasty and I got mad. We had trouble with some of Cole's men when they first joined us. But things are better now. We're not what I'd call close. But it's better."

"And your beating up this soldier brought you and Wendy together?"

"Not directly. But it gave him a different viewpoint on things and well, there you are."

"I see," Wolf said. But he didn't. He was still having a hard time believing it. "Well, I wish you every happiness. May you be as happy as Virginia and I are."

Rose threw her arms around Wolf and said, "Thank you. We will be. We are already."

"This is going to make you a queen, you know."

"I know," Rose said with a shrug of her shoulders. "That's just something I'll have to get used to."

"Excuse me, your Majesty," a young man asked. He wore brown and had a tail sticking out of his trousers. "Since the immediate danger is over, can we take our daytime rest?"

"Yes," Rose said. "I should have announced that. Pass the word on to everyone else."

"Thank you," the young man said.

It had been agreed upon the night before, that if their attack on the giant was successful, that as many wolves as possible would fight at night since they had special abilities in that area.

"You're obviously well respected," Wolf said. "I can see it in that soldier's eyes."

"You grow close in the army," she said. "It's like pack life."

"How did brown come to be chosen as our color?"

"It wasn't actually. I wore brown deerskin. And somewhere along the line, the part-wolves just started copying me."

Wolf looked down at the confident commander his sister had become. And he saw in her the queen their mother Scarlet would have been. "If you're on break," he said, putting his hand around her shoulder. "I have several stories to tell you. About our family and our parents."

When Tony and Rupert arrived with their cannons near the Third Kingdom, Hoban the blond bearded giant was busy trying to crush as many wolves and archers as he could with his battle-ax. The elves above him tried to distract him, but they weren't having much luck. Meanwhile, Bluebell the troll and his people had Major Burke's troops struggling in the field.

Tony and Rupert were met by Kobza, the full-blooded wolf who had been chosen as Rose's aide originally and then promoted to the position of chief wolf under Major Burke's command. Kobza was young, easygoing, eager to please, and energetic.

"Welcome," young Kobza said with a wag of his tail. "We're ready when you are."

Suddenly there was a trio of explosions in the distance, followed by a great BLAM! Everyone on the battlefield near the Third Kingdom stopped fighting and looked up. It was the sound of Wolf's cannon's just to the North. Luckily it was too far for Hoban the giant to see anything.

"Should I sound the alarm now?" Kobza asked.

"Not yet," Tony said. "They might suspect something. Wait another couple of minutes and then yell."

"Yes, Captain," Kobza said.

They waited till the sounds of battle were full again. Then Rupert gave the signal and Kobza gave three short howls.

In the field, Major Burke's troops began to fall back, a little at first and then more quickly. As the other two giants before him, Hoban followed till he found himself faced by two cannons.

"Fire!" Lord Rupert commanded.

But Hoban's instincts were better than that of the other giants. As soon as he heard the cannons explode, he jumped back. It was enough of an adjustment to cause the cannon balls to miss him. One whistled past his head. And another struck a big tree and pulverized it. That was all Hoban needed to see. Fighting a war was fun, but it suddenly started to look dangerous. Without saying so much as boo, he began running away back into the Third Kingdom.

Bluebell stood dumb for a moment, then he yelled after Hoban, "Hey! Come back! It's just a black ball!" Then he paused and looked at the tree that had been turned into matchsticks. "Isn't it?"

"He's getting away!" Tony yelled at Rupert.

"What do you suggest we do?" Rupert asked. "We can follow him, but he has plenty of time to adjust before we can fire. We'd just miss him again."

Tony put his hand up against to his temple. "No, no. I have an idea. Do you know how to play pinball?"

"What?"

"How about tag? Have you ever played that?"

"Oh, yes," Rupert said with a wicked giggled. "I like it quite a lot."

"Fine. I don't wanna know anymore. Just take that cannon and I'll take this one. We'll have the elves transport us from place to place chasing him as we go, all the way back to the beanstalks."

"But that's well inside enemy territory," Rupert pointed out.

"So? If we move fast enough, we won't be in any danger. Then, when we chase him up some beanstalk, we'll come right back here to safety. If we don't do this, he'll probably just come back tomorrow a lot less afraid of these cannons. What do you say?"

"Well, I'm not really sure."

"Good man," Tony said, patting Rupert on the back. "I knew you'd love it." And with that he took his post behind one of the cannons. "Follow!" he yelled

The elves and dwarves didn't hesitate. Tony's idea was dangerous but it made sense. Also, the trolls were very extended at that point. Most of the people left in the Third Kingdom were probably not soldiers.

Rupert had no choice but to get into place behind the remaining cannon crew. "Follow!" he called. But he didn't sound all that confident.

It actually turned out to be an excellent plan. In hodgepodge fashion, they chased Hoban the giant all the way back to his beanstalk. No matter which way he turned, either Tony or Rupert's crew would appear in front of him. The only trolls they saw were too young or too old to think about getting involved. And after seeing some of their buildings and trees destroyed by stray cannonballs, they wouldn't have gotten involved anyway.

At the end of these maneuvers the cannon crews were both a bit dizzy. But they had succeeded in their goal. When they got safely back behind their own lines, they danced and sang with exultation, even the dwarves. If King Eranthis had seen it, he would have been very disapproving.

Queen Matilde's group had it the easiest of all. Young Ramos the giant with the close-cropped hair and pockmarked face, was easily the smartest of the four giants. In fact, it might be more exact to say that he was the only smart one. When the Ice Maidens started to give way to him in battle and Princess Alicia gave the order for them to fall back, he felt a nagging suspicion. Ice Maidens just didn't take retreat lightly. Of course, he hadn't seen the elf above his head give the signal that the cannons were ready. And neither had the troll officer fighting with him on the ground. However they had heard several strange explosions. They weren't that loud because the forests of the Second Kingdom acted as a buffer. Still Ramos thought it was strange. He knew it wasn't thunder because there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

When Ramos entered the clearing and saw Queen Matilde, the well-known survivor of the Magic War, sitting behind a trio of strange black objects, he had a very bad feeling. The first thing he suspected was some new kind of magic. A small chill went through him and he wondered if maybe the Ice Maidens and the elves had fallen back to lure him into a trap. Instinctively, he took a few steps back.

When Matilde saw Ramos hesitate, she gave the command to "Fire!" Of course the cannons missed the giant. But the explosion got everyone's attention. Ramos ducked as the three cannonballs flew through the air. One exploded a troll beyond recognition. One smashed a great pine tree. And the last produced a major crater in the ground.

Immediately, Matilde gave the command to "Follow!"

The elves in her service threw up the magic dust and the cannons disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Ramos. Even if he hadn't been a smart giant, it wouldn't have taken much to realize that these dangerous new weapons were meant for him and could do an awful lot of damage.

Ramos loved the idea of war. But he thought that perhaps survival was more important. When he found out about Spider's death later, he knew he'd made the right decision about what he did next. He got down on one knee in a respectful pose and addressed Matilde, "I surrender, oh, gracious Queen! I humbly put down my weapon and offer to serve you."

The trolls couldn't believe what they were seeing. This was even worse than watching Spider get killed.

"If you want," Ramos continued, "I will begin in your service right now. Do you want me to wipe out all these trolls?"

Matilde knew it wasn't the right time to laugh, so she controlled herself. The elves exchanged glances and the Ice Maidens, of course, remained serious.

The trolls weren't taking any chances. "Retreat!" the troll in charge yelled. And his men followed him into the woods that were close at hand. They would regroup and begin fighting again shortly. Trolls didn't like retreating either, after all. But they had seen the damage those cannonballs could do. And they feared that Ramos the traitor giant might indeed change sides.

Matilde let the trolls fade into the woods before she spoke to Ramos, "We'll take care of the trolls," she said. "You return to your beanstalk. If we see again, we will destroy you." Then she raised her hand and a good-sized contingency of Ice Maidens stepped forward. "They will see you back."

Ramos nodded and got up. He left his weapon on the ground as he started on the journey through the Second Kingdom toward the old site of Beantown. That was the place that had been taken over by beanstalks and abandoned so long ago. The present day place with that name was built later in the Fourth Kingdom, almost as a remembrance of the original.

"Well, that's over with," Matilde said. "Now it's time to reclaim the Second Kingdom. Alicia?"

Princess Alicia of the Ice Maidens stepped forward. "Yes, Matilde."

"Pursue the trolls. And send for us the minute we're needed."


	65. Chapter 65

**CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE**

**Love and War**

The loss of the giants hurt the trolls a lot. When they'd started the war, their idea of forcing battles through the day and night made sense because the giants had been handling almost half the work. Now with them gone, the trolls had to send in more troops for the day shift. Which meant they lost some on the night shift. They were spread very thin, as they tried to conduct a war on four different fronts and over two countries.

And then the full moon came up.

The wolves that had had the day off were more than ready when the full moon hit the sky. They tore into the battlefield with boundless energy, taking with them even some of the wolves that had fought during the day. It didn't take long for the trolls to realize that fighting wolves during a full moon was a serious mistake.

The cannon crews were still near where they had started out earlier in the day. They had achieved their first goal by getting the giants to leave the war. Their second goal was to force the trolls out of Red Riding Hood's castle and then take the Third Kingdom itself. Till that happened, to save on magic traveling dust, they were all staying behind their respective fronts and awaiting orders.

With the full moon in the sky and Virginia far away, Wolf would much have preferred to be in battle. He'd told Rose that he wanted to go with her that evening but she'd refused to let him.

"You should stay here," she said, "in case a situation comes up where we need the cannons."

"Nooo," Wolf said. "I'm more valuable to you on the battlefield."

"Not tonight," Rose said. "You stay here. That's an order."

What could Wolf do? She outranked him now. With a well-orchestrated whimper, he gave up and started away. Then he looked back to see if he'd gotten her sympathy. But she'd already begun a conversation with an elf about carrying more arrows to the front in the morning.

Ultimately, Wolf went off and did a little hunting. Then he sat under a tree and howled his troubles to the moon as wolves often do. When the rest of the world couldn't understand, the moon did.

There was a fable among the wolves that it had been the moon goddess who'd raised the wolves above the other animals in the forest, giving them the power of speech and reason because she'd admired their cleverness, their bravery, and their loyalty to one another. She thought they'd make a wonderful addition to the other dominant species of the world and would over time be greatly respected. So, she worked her magic. And from that moment on she became the spiritual mother of all wolves. She came and visited them each month as usual, never staying as long as she wanted. And the wolves always met her and told her about all the wonderful things they were doing with their newfound powers. But over time, the moon began hearing reports that the wolves had taken to warring among themselves like many of the other dominant species. And she heard they were bullying weaker animals in the forest and misusing their new power in the world. On one particular month, she left the sky to come to earth and see these things for herself, leaving the sky dark when it should have been full of light. When she found all the reports were true, she became very angry. As a punishment, she proclaimed that every month when she appeared, they would feel a call to the wild so they would remember the animals that they had once been. In this way they would no longer be able to indulge their self-importance.

Wolf himself felt no conceit on that night. He was far away from his succulent wife, with her deep blue eyes and delectable body. His heart, soul, and body craved her beyond measure. He wanted to chase her through the woods and then slowly make love to her the way she liked.

What had the world become, he wondered. He was far away from his lovely wife on a full moon night. And he'd become a prince, of all things. What a ridiculous idea! He certainly didn't feel like one. I mean, huff-puff, imagine him a king, trapped inside a castle all the time? He was glad Red Riding Hood the Third had survived because he certainly wouldn't have wanted her throne. But his sister was going to be on a throne, his baby sister, who now outranked him in the army. She was going to be the queen of a man who hadn't liked wolves before Wolf had rescued him from being a dog. Things were just moving too fast.

And all that stuff Raphaela, had shown him about Tony and his younger self. He didn't remember any of it directly because, from the point of view of history, it never happened. All he knew of the past was what happened the first time and what his older self directly saw during his visit there. Had Tony really been so protective and friendly with his younger self? Had he saved him from dying with his parents and given Wolf his own talisman so he and Virginia could return home? So, much of that night was a blank to him. Had he perhaps been a bit hard on Tony? Maybe he should try harder to get along with the older man.

Virginia was not a wolf so she wasn't anywhere near as aware of the full moon as her husband was. In fact, she didn't notice it at all till she went to bed around one o'clock in the morning. She had dived into her new job as Queen Leaf Fall's assistant and found herself quite good at it. Leaf was very demanding and more than a bit of perfectionist. But since Virginia was intelligent and competent, the two got along very well.

Virginia's chief job was the elf dispatches. She took them in, read them and handled what she could, advising Leaf of the rest. For instance, after Spider the giant was killed in the morning, they had to decide what to do with his body. Leaf suggested contacting Prince Brutus who was still up in the Eighth Kingdom. She thought Brutus could transport Spider north and keep him on ice till the end of the war. Then they would return him to the giants. But Brutus had another suggestion. He wrote Virginia that he wanted to magically transport Spider to the world at the top of the beanstalks. It would be a difficult spell but he was confident he could do it. It was the decent thing to do, after all. But more importantly, it would show the giants they had a powerful weapon. Then they'd think twice before attacking again. Virginia O.K.'d this and stayed in touch with Brutus till he succeeded in his task. Then she had told Leaf Fall that the problem had been solved.

When she finally went to her room, Virginia looked out the window and saw the moon. She sent her love to Wolf through it, although not in howls like her husband. Then she slipped between the clean sheets of her bed. No doubt about it, living in a castle had its perks. Like fresh sheets and maids who kept your room tidy and chefs who prepared meals for you. But sleeping alone without your husband was lonely indeed. Wolf's side of the bed was cold and barren. She wanted so much to curl up against his warm body and run her hand over the hair on his chest. If she'd had a choice, she would have stayed up and continued working with Leaf. But the baby growing inside of her needed rest.

As she lay down, she ran her hand over her stomach and said good night to her unborn little one. Her ring sang softly in the dark to keep her company, using the same lullaby that it had sung to her in the past. This time, however, it didn't sing the part about the fairy queen watching over her. "I guess Matilde's doing other things tonight," Virginia said to the ring. But in place of that part was a new phrase.

"Though your love is far away," the ring sang,

He will come home soon to stay.

Then a king and queen, you'll see,

Soon will join your family."

Virginia laughed when she heard that. It didn't make any sense to her. She didn't know of Rose's engagement to Wendell yet. And both she and Wolf had left the courtyard that morning before Tony had kissed Matilde so publicly. So, of course she had to ask, "What's that supposed to mean?" But the ring just repeated the whole lullaby again.

King Wendell had spent the evening well to the rear of the fighting. He usually liked to be close to see how it was going. But tonight with the full moon and with the relentless energy of the wolves, he just couldn't keep up. Neither could most of the human soldiers. The wolves were flooding across the border of the Second Kingdom and into the woods on the other side with a ferocity that even frightened the trolls.

There wasn't much to do, so Wendell took the opportunity to rest. He sat himself under some trees inside the Second Kingdom not far from the border. His aide visited him twice, first to give him a report and then to bring him a couple of blankets because the King had decided to spend the night in that peaceful spot.

Meanwhile, Rose was fighting with the other wolves, pushing back the trolls and dividing up their ranks. It was satisfying work. She was pushing the invaders off her native soil, regaining the world of her ancestors. It felt good and powerful. And she gloried in it. Then, somewhere in the vicinity of midnight, she began to feel hungry for something else. For someone else. With a growl she turned back toward the border.

Even from a distance she could catch Wendell's scent on the air. It was enticing beyond endurance. She had to go to him. He was easy to find because he wasn't moving. Each step closer to him made her more and more hungry.

At some point, Wendell had the sense he was being watched. Or maybe even stalked. It was wartime, so he was understandably cautious. He stood up and unsheathed his sword. "Who goes there?" he asked. "Identify yourself."

But Rose was not in a mood to talk. With a ravenous growl she jumped out of the shadows and threw him to the ground, knocking his weapon aside in the process. Then she began kissing him and ripping at his clothes.

Needless to say, Wendell quickly realized who was attacking him. This was not an average maneuver of war and the woodsy smell of the long hair sprawling over his increasingly naked body definitely belonged to Rose. He hadn't intended to go this far before the wedding. But his fiance obviously had other ideas because she had him pinned to the ground and was practically raping him. There was no way he could resist her passion. Nor did he want to. Her lovemaking left him gasping. And he wondered how he was going to keep up with such a fiery lover. But somehow he knew he'd find a way.

Tony and Matilde did not have the option of physical closeness that night. But thoughts to that effect were very definitely starting to occur in their minds.

At moonrise, Tony contacted Matilde in his mirrored medallion. All he did was call her name and her face appeared out of its gray depths, shimmering slightly in her darkened surroundings. His first words were, "I miss you."

"I miss you too," she said.

Their kiss that morning had incited a deep longing for more in Tony. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, and feel her under him. Instead, he was on a lonely battlefield behind the action, with Lord Rupert, a bunch of elves, and serious faced dwarves. Talk about frustration! If he'd thought of it, he would've howled at the moon like Wolf. "I saw Virginia's dispatch this afternoon," he said. "Speaking as the inventor of our wonderful weapons, I feel mighty proud."

"And so you should."

"I'm proud of Virginia too. She seems to be doing a good job back there. I didn't know she was going to be handling dispatches."

"I suggested she help Leaf Fall. I had a feeling they would work well together."

"And they obviously do."

They were silent for a moment, each in their own romantic thoughts.

While watching Tony sleep in the past, Matilde had wondered more than once what it would be to like spend the night with him. And that morning when he'd kissed her, she'd very much enjoyed the feeling of his body against hers.

"Do you hear the wolves howling from afar here in the background?" Tony asked.

"Yes, some elves from our cannon crew flew up and over the Second Kingdom to see how things were going. Evidently, our side is doing very well with the help of the moon. At this rate, I'm pretty certain the war won't last much longer."

"I hope not."

"When it's over, it would be nice if you could come up with a special invention of some kind for the dwarves in thanks for the help they gave you."

"An invention? What kind?"

"I don't know. I leave that up to you. After all, you're the inventor."

"But I was going to build a boiler for Wendell's castle."

"So? You can still do that. You don't have to build anything for the dwarves. They're great builders in their own right. You can simply draw up some plans."

"I'll try and think of something."

"Good," Matilde said. "From what I read in Virginia's dispatches, you and Lord Rupert were really quite brilliant today."

"Thank you, we tried."

"Is Rupert proud of himself?"

"Do you have to ask? You should see him dancing around, telling and retelling our adventure. The elves fly away when they see him coming."

There was a pause again.

"We should probably get some rest," Matilde observed.

"I don't want to say goodnight," Tony said.

"I don't either."

So, they continued talking of this and that and nothing at all. Till Tony finally felt the pull of the day and dropped off to sleep. Matilde left the mirrors on so she could watch him as he slept.

The next morning when Wendell woke up, he quickly realized that he and Rose would be needing some fresh clothing. The ones they had had on the night before were a little worse for wear and scattered about in every direction. But what did it matter? His beautiful naked love was by his side, curled up under the blankets he'd had the foresight to order the night before. Rose had her head on his chest with her red hair cascading in every direction. He didn't move for a long time because he didn't want to wake her up. When she finally did, he kissed her and they made love again, this time more gently because the extreme hunger of the night had been spent.

Afterward Wendell said, "We really should be going. My aide will be looking for me."

"Mm," Rose said, sort of agreeing, but not quite.

"I should get us some new clothes. I don't think ours are in good shape anymore. I have a spare uniform back at the main camp. And I'm sure we can find one for you too."

"Mm," Rose said again. She was enjoying the naked cuddling.

But war was war and they had to get back. Wendell kissed her forehead and got up to route about in the clothes on the ground. It was cold that morning and what he found was a bit ripped. But it would have to do. He left Rose and started off in the direction he thought his aide would be coming from. "Lenworth!" he called through the trees several times.

Finally Lenworth's voice answered back. "Your Majesty? Is something wrong?" Lenworth was walking quickly through the hemlocks, but came to a total stop when he saw the disheveled state of the King. "Your Majesty! Are you all right? Were you attacked last night?"

"In a manner of speaking. But I'm quite all right. What

I need is for you to do is bring me my spare uniform. And an extra one as well in a slightly smaller size."

Puzzlement floated across the aide's face. "Your Majesty?"

"It's not for me. It's for someone else."

The aide's looked back over the King's torn clothes, noticing the pattern of destruction. And the truth finally dawned on him. "Ah, ha," he said. "I'll go at once. It won't take but a few minutes."

When Wolf saw his sister coming toward him from a distance later that morning, he was puzzled to see her in the regular navy uniform of the Fourth Kingdom instead of the deerskin suit she prized so much. But when she got closer, he understood completely. People who spend the night together, leave a lot of their scent on each other. So wolves often know the truth about other people's sex lives. It can be very embarrassing sometimes and great fun at others. In this case, it was the later. "I guess I'll have to say yes to Wendell's marrying you now," Wolf said.

"Oh, stop."

"Virginia and I couldn't wait either."

"I need you to do something for me."

"Whatever you need, sister mine," Wolf said with a smirk.

"My clothes got a little damaged."

Wolf's smirk got wider and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Wendell's aide brought me these to wear. But I think it would be more proper if I wore brown. Would you try and borrow some clothes from some of the other part-wolves? If I do it, they'll know everything, just like you do."

"And huff-puff, we can't have that. No siree."

"Stop it," Rose said, giving him a push. "Just go!"

"At once, my future Queen," Wolf said chuckling. At least his sister had enjoyed the full moon.


	66. Chapter 66

**CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX**

**The War Ends**

Over night the trolls lost a lot of territory on each front, especially where there were wolf troops. The Ice Maidens, with all their military abilities, were hard pressed to keep up.

In the morning, the fighting continued.

Demetrius was now the only giant on the battlefield. And with his help, Wendell's troops quickly moved through the forest at the border of the Second Kingdom. Burly thought of trying to force the populace of his captured country to fight alongside the trolls. But it didn't seem feasible. He just didn't have any extra trolls to do the forcing.

By the second morning after the full moon, Bluebell and Blabberwort's forces had been pushed back well inside the troll kingdom.

As for Burley's forces, the troops that had been at the border of the Sixth Kingdom had fallen back to join those that had been at the border of the Fourth. They were now all gathered together for one last battle. Burley did not want to give up his captured kingdom without a good fight. And he got one.

Queen Matilde and Wolf each appeared with their three cannon crews at Red Riding Hood's castle. Burly and one of his battalions were inside. But most of the troll soldiers were outside trying to look mean. It was hard because they were exhausted from fighting around the clock. Demetrius led the way. He knocked over the little troll men with his stick like they were dolls. The elves shot arrows at them from the air. And Wendell's troops and Princess Alicia's Ice Maidens shot at them from the ground. The trolls were clearly outnumbered. They backed toward the castle and wished that Burly would surrender. But he did not.

That was then that Queen Matilde gave Wolf the signal. She felt that he, as a new prince of the realm, he should be the first to fire in its defense.

"Fire!" Wolf called to his crew.

And they fired at the castle, causing great damage to several of its walls and destroying the parapet that Queen Red and Burly had both been so fond of.

Matilde waited for signs of surrender. But when they didn't come, she too yelled "Fire!"

Her three cannons shattered the entire back corner of the castle.

Wolf paused and then again shouted "Fire!"

The piece of the roof that Spider had tried to put back when he had taken the castle, was blown off and these last reverberations destroyed most of the windows.

At that point, the trolls were ready to submit. They didn't care what Burly wanted. They rushed forward and handed their weapons to any elf, human, or Ice Maiden they could find. "We give up!" they yelled. "No more! We surrender!"

Burly himself was even easier to arrest. He was sitting on the floor of the castle swaying, almost deaf from the thundering echo of the cannonballs.

King Eranthis's cannon crew, as well as the one led by Tony and Lord Rupert, were called into play later that day as they moved into the Third Kingdom itself. Bluebell surrendered quickly. But Blabberwort tried to back her troops into the castle that had served her father most recently and Gretel the Great so long ago. She only needed one cannon blast, however, to change her mind. Gretel's old castle was not in good repair. Trolls aren't builders by nature. So, they'd let the place go. The one cannon blast it received was almost enough to destroy it.

Within two days the cease-fire was arranged.

Matilde, as the head of the Council of the Nine Kingdoms, was the one to deliver the terms of surrender. Without question, the trolls gave in to both of their conquerors' demands. They had been beaten back too badly to argue.

First, Relish's children were to be banished to a tiny island off the Third Kingdom and kept under guard by the Ice Maidens. Burly, Blabberwort, and Bluebell were really happy about that. Their own people were furious at them and would have loved to have given them a far worse penalty.

Second, the Third Kingdom was to be placed under the rule of the Council and overseen on a daily basis by the Ice Maidens until the trolls proved they were ready for proper self-rule. It was done this way because everyone knew that the Ice Maidens with their warlike culture were the race most respected by the trolls.

Very shortly after this Queen Red Riding Hood the Third rode back into her country in an open carriage, amidst much cheering from her people. It wouldn't be long before she'd see that Ichabod had been right. The people of the Second Kingdom would see their Queen with her wounds and watch her heal. And in her healing they would find the strength to heal themselves.

Queen Leaf Fall rode behind her friend in a more understated entourage. She and her elves had pledged to help the Second Kingdom rebuild itself. Demetrius stayed behind for a while to make what repairs he could to the castle, before returning to his monkish ways. And Wolf, Rose, and Wendell followed Queen Red to her castle as a good-will gesture. They had done much to save her and the Second Kingdom. And Rose wanted to extend the hand of cousinly friendship.

Queen Red had been back in her castle only minutes before she and Rose went off to talk privately. Red wanted to hear again about Ichabod's brave deed and his last words. Rose let her know where they had buried him, just within sight of the border.

"I marked the spot well," Rose told her new cousin. "When you're feeling better, we will both go and visit him."

"Yes," Red said, taking Rose's hand. She couldn't keep the tears from her eyes, so she let them fall. "We will go together."


	67. Chapter 67

**CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN**

**Jubilation**

Wolf returned to the castle in the company of Wendell and Rose. Wendell had still not had the opportunity to speak with Wolf alone about his intentions. But the couple sat together comfortably in the coach, holding hands. Their affection for each other was very plain.

As they pulled into the courtyard, Rose announced her decision to bath and dress in something more feminine than the mix and match brown clothing she had on.

Wendell helped her from the carriage and gave her a loving kiss. "I'll see you at dinner then," he said. "Seven o'clock? That's the time cook likes to serve during these shorter days."

"Seven it is," Rose said. And with another quick kiss, she ran ahead of them into the castle. And the coach pulled away.

"She's a lovely girl," Wendell said, watching her go.

"Yes, she is," Wolf agreed.

"You know. I have been meaning to talk to you."

"Really?" Wolf asked, innocently as if he didn't know what it could possibly be about.

"Yes, about your sister." Wendell stopped just short of the top steps of the castle. "You know how very highly I think of her. I'd count it as an enormous favor if you, as her older brother, would grant me her hand in marriage."

"Really?" Wolf said, still playing a part.

Wendell cleared his throat and shuffled his boots just a touch as he started listing off the positive points of their union. "Yes, well, I would be making her queen, of course. And there's the aspect of my being rich. And I would treat her very well from a personal standpoint."

"O.K., Wendy. Enough. You have my blessings!" Wolf said.

"Really?"

Wolf threw his arms around Wendell and patted him heartily on the back. "Welcome to the family!" he gushed. "When's the wedding?"

"Well, I haven't discussed that with Rose yet. But I think it will be rather soon."

"Good idea," Wolf said. Especially since his sense of smell told him that they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Wolf had been there. He understood. Speaking of which. "If you don't mind, I've got to go find Virginia and let her know I'm home."

"Of course," Wendell said. "I understand. I should probably clean up and see if the Chancellor has anything he needs me to do."

Wolf found Virginia in the King's Study, working furiously through a pile of papers with the serious faced Chancellor.

"Virginia!" Wolf said, throwing out his arms dramatically. "I'm home!"

"Yes," Virginia said, still looking at a paper in her hands. "I got your elf dispatch. I knew you were on the way."

"Well, don't I get a hug and kiss?"

"Oh, sure." Virginia got up from her seat and gave Wolf a very perfunctory hug and kiss.

"Is that all I get?"

"Wolf, I'm busy right now. Until Matilde gets back, I'm responsible for all this Council stuff."

"So when is she due back?"

"Sometime late this afternoon." Virginia sat down again at the King's desk and handed the paper she'd been poring over to the Chancellor. "I think we should wait on this till Matilde gets here," she said.

"Very good, Princess" the Chancellor said.

"By the way," Wolf said to the Chancellor. "King Wendell is back. He just went to his room to clean up. Then he's going to come looking for you."

"Oh, I have so many things to show him," the serious faced Chancellor said. "One thing especially can't wait!" And with that, he hurried off with a heavy looking document in his hand.

Wolf watched his wife riffle busily through papers for a bit. Then a loud sigh escaped him. This just wasn't the greeting he'd expected to get when he got home. But he couldn't really complain. After all, Virginia hadn't given him a hard time when he'd gone off to war. Now it was her turn to be busy. Fair was fair. He shouldn't bother her. Maybe he could use the time to plan some special celebration. "So, you're going to be working here till Matilde gets back?"

"Yes," Virginia said distractedly. "She's coming in her magic coach and will probably be here late this afternoon. But I have a load of elf dispatches to get out before then."

"Is your father back?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. He's been here for about a day. But I haven't seen him except to say Hi. I've just been so busy."

"So I see."

"Why don't you go find Dad and hang out with him or something?"

"Maybe I will," Wolf said. "O.K. I'll see you later them."

"Mm hmm," Virginia said.

But Wolf didn't go in search of Tony. Instead he found the perfect butler in one of the nearby corridors. "Would you help me in the course of true love?" he asked the butler with the closely cropped white hair.

"Oh, Sir," the butler said, with a bow. "I'd be honored."

"Good!" Wolf put his arm around the butler and said, "Would you keep an eye out for Queen Matilde's return? I have to make some arrangements in the kitchen and elsewhere."

"Why, of course, Sir,"

"When she goes in to the King's office, I want you to come to my room. I'll have some notes that I want you to deliver."

"Absolutely, Sir," the butler said.

It was just as well that Wolf hadn't gone looking for Tony. He was very busy too. He'd spent most of his first day back in the castle in his workshop with Lord Rupert digging out the old boiler plans and working up some others. The cannons and their ammunition had been taken back to Dragon Mountain where they'd been made. The Council had asked Eranthis to keep them until they were needed again.

Finally, Tony called it a day and went up to his room to watch for Matilde. It was very late in the afternoon and the sky was already beginning to darken by the time he saw the swirl of dead leaves and the flashes of white dust that always advertised her carriage's appearance. He rushed downstairs to meet her and came out just as the footman was helping Matilde down. She still looked tired, but the wrinkles of worry that Tony had seen etched on her face when they'd talked the night before through the medallion were gone. For the moment, the trouble was over.

Tony didn't wait for Matilde to reach the castle. With long, heavy strides, he dashed to the carriage and swept her up into his arms. The footman politely averted his eyes as he climbed back onto the coach and started away. This was only Tony and Matilde's second kiss. So, although they'd been in regular contact since the cannon crews had arrived at the scene of the war, there was still a sense of urgency to it.

"You seem rested," Matilde said.

"Rested and excited," Tony said, pulling her closer and locking his hands behind her.

"That I knew also."

"Rupert and I came up with the perfect invention for the dwarves of Dragon Mountain. Hydroelectric power. One whole side of the mountain is covered with waterfalls. With just a little bit of building, we can get them enough electricity to light up their tunnels like it was day time."

Since Matilde had done so much visiting to other dimensions, including Tony's, she didn't have to ask about hydroelectric power or electricity or lights. She pursed her lips together and nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. But you do realize that you'll have to start wiring the rest of the Nine Kingdoms after the news gets out."

"So, we'll do it over time."

"And if your boiler works, you'll have lots of people interested in that as well."

"It looks like I've got my work cut out for me."

"You seem very smug about it."

"Why shouldn't I be? Life couldn't be better." And he kissed her again.

"I've got to go do some work," she said at last. "Virginia's been handling all the work of the Council by herself since Leaf Fall left two days ago. I sent her a dispatch this morning that I would relieve her as soon as I got back. Has Wolf returned?"

"Haven't seen him. But I think he and Wendell were expected."

"Good."

"Your cane and your crystal ball are still locked away in your room. I checked on them this morning and this afternoon shortly before you came."

"You didn't have to do that. I can assure you, they're perfectly capable of taking care of themselves."

"Maybe. But I felt better doing it."

"And I'm sure they appreciated it. But I'd better go now." She tried to pull away, but Tony wouldn't let her go. "I've got work to do," she repeated.

"Not till you promise to have dinner with me."

"That goes without saying. I'll meet you at eight o'clock."

"Seven," Tony countered. "Since the days are much shorter now, they're serving earlier."

"Very well. Seven. Now, please release me, young man."

"Of course," Tony said, with a bow. He followed behind her as she swung her long skirt out of the way and started upstairs. "You know," he said, "I've never been involved with an older woman."

"Really? Almost all the men I've dated have been substantially younger. There simply aren't that many men as old as I."

When Matilde got to the King's office, she found Wendell and his Chancellor going through papers spread out in endless piles on a very long set of bookshelves. Virginia was still at the King's large wooden desk, busily going over other things.

"Welcome back, Wendell," Matilde said.

"Ah!" Wendell said looking up. "And the same to you, Matilde. How are things shaping up in the troll kingdom?"

"Better than you'd expect. The Ice Maidens have things well in hand."

"Good." Wendell turned to his Chancellor and handed him the paper on the top of the pile in front of him. "Give this to the Prime Minister of the Sixth Kingdom," he said.

"If you're sending something to him," Matilde said, "let him know that now that the war is over, the Council of the Nine Kingdoms is going to be sending someone to oversee their development of a legislature."

"Who?" Wendell asked.

"Cindy, of course," Matilde said. "Her legs are acting up a bit lately. But until she takes her last breath, you know she's going to be pushing for more representative government. Her dream is to see the Council of the Nine Kingdoms with all its representatives eventually become the main governing body of the Kingdoms."

"Well, it couldn't happen soon enough to the Sixth Kingdom. The Naked Emperor's Great Grandson is just impossible. The whole Kingdom is in distress."

Matilde stood over Virginia, who was still working away. "Virginia," she said, "has Wolf returned?"

"Yes. He came back with King Wendell." Virginia sat back and released a loud sigh. "Whew! That's it! This first pile is the elf dispatches that came in this afternoon. And this second pile is answers I sent out right away. This third pile is the ones I figured I'd leave for you. They include one item from King Cole and one from King Woodbine. And this final pile here I already started answering. This item," Virginia held up the paper she'd just been writing on, "this is in answer to this dispatch here on top of the third pile. It's from Leaf Fall. I started answering it because there were some things she and I had been working on before she left that I knew she'd want to know about."

"Fine work," Matilde said. She noted that Virginia had only four piles of work left to handle and that Wendell's Chancellor had an endless number, strung a quarter length of the room. This was a tribute to Virginia's abilities. "Leaf told me she was more than satisfied with your work," Matilde said. "And she was obviously telling the truth.

"Well, thank you," Virginia said. "It was fun actually. I'm a little sorry it's over."

"It doesn't have to be. The Council could use your help, if you could spare us some time every now and again."

Virginia's eyes lit up. "I'm sure I could, if you need me."

"Indeed we do. Leaf has been hoping that one of her daughters would show more of an interest in the workings of the Council. But they have their minds on other things at the moment. So, I know for a fact that your continued work would be appreciated. You see, each ruling member of the Council has a Secondary who helps in their duties. I have Princess Alicia, Wendell's Chancellor supports him. Leaf Fall has been doing it mostly by herself."

"I'd love to."

"Good. She asked me to ask you because she didn't want you to feel pressured. I shall let her know when I send out this evening's dispatches. But I'll tell her that you have a few personal things to attend to first. Now, go and find your husband."

"Thank you. I will."

Virginia gave up her chair to Matilde and started to head off. That's when the perfect butler came in with a highly polished silver tray with an ivory colored note on it.

"For Princess Virginia," the butler said with a bow.

"For me?" Virginia said.

"Yes, Miss."

Virginia took the note and the butler disappeared.

It was a tiny card in an envelope. It read,

"You're free at last, it's playtime now.

It's time to get some private chow.

But first make a stop and get what all tables need.

Stop at the Royal Greenhouse, but don't get seed."

Virginia laughed. She recognized the handwriting. It was Wolf's. "His rhyme's are even worse than the ring's," she said under her breath. Her engagement ring raised its pearl head and hummed loudly in protest. "What?" Virginia said. "I did say you were better than him, didn't I?" The ring settled down, but was still obviously miffed. "I guess he wants me to pick up some flowers," Virginia said to the ring.

The Royal Greenhouse had a bouquet of pink carnations ready for her when she arrived. They were wrapped in green paper and tied with ribbons.

"For you, Princess," the little old dwarf woman who ran the greenhouse said.

"Thank you." Virginia sniffed at the flowers and drank in their spicy aroma. "They smell wonderful."

The little dwarf curtsied her thanks and returned to her work.

Suddenly the perfect butler appeared again. He seemed to glide out of nowhere. "For you, Princess," he said, offering yet another note on the shiny silver tray.

"Thank you," she said.

And he glided away.

"No giants there, to frighten you," Wolf's note said.

"But still you've got some more to do.

To the Royal Herbalist next, you go.

To pick up what, you don't know."

"Well, at least this rhyme's a little better," Virginia said. "Though not by much." The Royal Herbalist. Where was he? "Excuse me," she asked the little dwarf in charge of the greenhouse. "Where can I find the Royal Herbalist?"

"His place is just outside of the ballroom. He's got a plot where he grows what herbs he can. Others he has sent in, depending on what the kitchen and the doctor needs."

"Thank you."

The Royal Herbalist was an elf with very little hair left on his head and very few teeth left inside it. "Princess," he said, when he saw Virginia come in. "This is what you want." And he handed her a small group of cinnamon sticks tied together with blue ribbon.

Virginia couldn't begin to guess what they were for. But she took them anyway and thanked the elf.

Again the perfect butler appeared out of nowhere with yet another note.

"What's this one about?" Virginia asked.

"I'm sure I don't know," the butler answered. And he glided away.

"Just one more stop you have to make," this new note read.

"Just one more thing you have to take.

Off to the kitchen, you now go,

To gather hearts, don't you know."

"O.K." Virginia said. "The kitchen next." At least that was easy. The kitchen wasn't that far from the Royal Herbalist.

When she came in, a very tall chef with a ridiculously tiny mustache came to greet her. "Ah, Princess!" he said. "They have just finished cooling." And he handed her a basket of delicate shortbread cookies in the shape of hearts with red sugared arrows on them. Their strong vanilla scent made her want to eat one, then and there. She almost did. But before she could get her hand into the basket, the perfect butler appeared again.

"Not another one?" Virginia said.

"Princess," the butler said, as he held out the silver tray.

Virginia put the cookies down and opened the note.

"You've pierced my heart and I am done," it read,

Now to my side you ought to run.

Come to the room that we both share,

Your Princely Wolf is waiting there."

Virginia shook her head and laughed.

The butler cleared his throat delicately. "Do you need me to carry the cookies for you, Princess?" he asked.

"No. I can do it," she answered, scooping them up.

She flew upstairs. But her arms were just too full to open the door. So, she kicked it lightly and said, "Wolf?"

Wolf opened the door with a beaming smile. "So. Did you like my little game?"

"It was adorable," she said walking in.

The room was dark except for the light of several candles and a big roaring fire in the fireplace. A table was set with a cold supper and two mugs of hot chocolate with a healthy helping of whipped cream on top.

"I thought we might want to be alone tonight," Wolf said, closing the door.

"It looks wonderful. But what are the cinnamon sticks for?"

Wolf took the carnations and put them in a vase he had waiting on the table. "Those are for the apple cider. I've got a whole kettle full of it warming on the fire. The chef said it would go well with the cold meats and fresh bread."

"It's wonderful," Virginia said, putting the cookies and cinnamon down.

"I thought we'd start with the hot chocolate."

"No. I have other ideas," she said, unbuttoning his shirt. "I like my hot chocolate cold." She began kissing his chest and tugging at his pants.

"Me too," Wolf sighed, rubbing against her.

There was a sweet intensity to their lovemaking as they undressed each other and rolled onto the bed. It had been too long and they were very hungry for each other. When it was over they napped briefly and then got up to eat.

"So," Virginia said. "Did you enjoy the war?"

"I don't know if I'd say that," Wolf said. "But I did my duty." He paused for a moment for effect. "I think Rose may have enjoyed it though." Wolf wagged his head from side to side and raised his eyebrows provocatively.

"What does that mean?" Virginia asked.

"It means that she has something going with King Wendell."

Virginia almost dropped the platter of cold meats she'd just been passing to him. "What? You're kidding?"

"Not at all. I was kinda surprised myself. I guess we were gone for a long time."

"Wow. Is it serious?"

"Well, Wendell asked me for her hand in marriage today."

"Really? That must have been what the ring was singing about a while back."

"What did it say?"

"Something about a king and queen joining the family. It must have meant Wendell and Rose. When she marries him, she'll be a queen won't she?"

"Oh, yes. No doubt about that."

"So that answers it. Right ring?" Virginia asked, holding her hand up and addressing it directly.

The ring shook its glowing little pearl head and sang,

"That's only half, you have to know.

The rest you'll learn before you go."

"Go?" Virginia cried. "I'm tired of going. It's time for a rest now."

"Just before we went away," the ring sang

"I heard a promise made that day.

Can't we all be leaving soon?

It's time to take our honeymoon."

"You know, he's right," Virginia said. "I let you go to war and you owe me a honeymoon."

"Oh, cripes, yes! Where shall we go?" Wolf said, his tail wagging.

"Kissing Town. I want to go back to Kissing Town. We could go to a few other places too if you want. But I want to go there first."

"When?"

"How about tomorrow? We'll pack a few things tonight and make the final preparations in the morning."

"Excellent!" Wolf said.

"Matilde said I should take some time off, anyway."

"What do you mean, time off?"

"Didn't I tell you? Matilde asked me to work as Leaf Fall's secondary on the Council. I guess it's really just a glorified secretary position, but…"

"Oh, it's much more than that," Wolf said. "To be a Secondary to one of the ruling members of the Council means that they can send you places as their representative and maybe even speak before the full legislative body. It's a great honor."

"Well, I don't know if she'll actually let me do any of that."

"Oh, but she might. You should be very proud. They wouldn't ask you to do that lightly."

"I'm really just standing in for Leaf's daughters. One day, one of them will probably decide they want the job."

"Well, until they do, you should enjoy it." Wolf raised his mug of cold hot chocolate. "A toast!" he said proudly. "To my brilliant wife."

The diningroom absolutely sparkled that night in the palace. There was so much to celebrate. The King had ordered an especially sumptuous dinner with extra candles and wine and endless courses of food. In the corner a quartet of musicians played softly. And the waiters almost danced as they went about their work.

Wendell wasn't able to get away from his duties as quickly as he would have liked. But he still made an entrance into the diningroom with Rose on his arm. She was decked out in a beautiful gown of green brocade with her hair gathered delicately back with ribbons. Everyone took to their feet as soon as the young couple entered and a round of applause erupted.

Rose smiled and gazed down demurely, guessing that most of the excitement was for the King. But she was wrong. The people of the Fourth Kingdom considered her a great heroine. And they were honoring her as well.

The King led the way to the head of the great main table and picked up his wineglass. "Thank you one and all," he said. "But I have an announcement to make. Tonight we are not just celebrating the end of a war. We are celebrating a beginning. I want to announce to you all that I have found myself a bride." He turned to Rose. "Please join me in toasting Princess Rose, who not only helped us win the war. She won my heart as well."

The guests in the diningroom were simply enchanted. "To Princess Rose!" they said. And they drank her health and happiness.

Lord Rupert was beside himself. He literally leaped out of his chair and raced to the King. "Oh, your Majesty!" he said dancing up and down. "A royal wedding! You must, you simply must let me plan it. Please. I'll never ask anything of you again, I promise."

Rose smiled sweetly.

And Wendell said, "Rupert, we wouldn't have it done by anyone else."

"Really?"

"Of course not."

"It must be very big," Rupert said, flinging his arms out as wide as they could go. "And green should be the secondary color. How much time do I have to plan?"

"Not much I'm afraid. Rose wants to get married just before the next full moon. Then we'll be going to my hunting lodge for our honeymoon."

"An excellent choice, your Majesty! What could be more romantic than an isolated hunting lodge in winter? Surrounded by snow on the outside and warmed by love on the inside. Oh! A month! I should be off at once to do my planning. Got to get started. A month!"

On the other side of the room, at a quiet table in the corner, Tony and Matilde sat holding hands. They had already finished their meals and were lingering over tea.

"They really make a lovely couple," Tony said. "But I confess I never saw it coming."

"A lot happened while you were gone," Matilde said.

"I know," Tony said squeezing her hand. "Like you and me getting together. I still can't believe it."

"Neither can I."

"I wonder if it would have happened, if you hadn't kept such a close eye on us all."

"I couldn't help it. Time travel can be very dangerous. If you hadn't been there to save Wolf, he would have died there."

"I try not to think of that."

"Shall we go for a walk?" Matilde asked."

Tony got up and offered her his arm. And they strolled out of the diningroom and back toward the library.

"I'm glad you had those medallions," Tony said.

"I am too."

"You know, I still haven't told Virginia about us yet."

"No?"

"Well, for one thing, I haven't had the chance. She's been really busy since I got back. I was hoping to tell her tonight. But then she and Wolf didn't show up for dinner."

"They need some time alone."

"I know. I'll tell her tomorrow for sure. But I'm a little afraid she still won't believe me."

"Kids have trouble imagining their parents having a love life."

"Course if you'd flashed that light for me back in the past when I asked you to, it might be less difficult now."

"You do understand now why I didn't?"

"Yeah," Tony said, coming to a stop. "I think so."

"I was just so embarrassed when you said how we'd been in contact with each other in front of the Council members. I felt like a little girl who'd been caught making out with the boy next door."

"And did that happen to you often?"

"Once or twice."

Tony pulled her into his arms for a long lingering kiss.

The clippity clip sounds coming down the hallway didn't exactly surprise them. Lord Rupert always had a way of showing up when he wasn't wanted. They stopped kissing, but remained with their arms around each other as he passed.

"Sorry," he said, struggling to undo an immense tape measure. "I'm just on my way to the library. The tapestry hanging there will be perfect for the wedding motif I have in mind, all green hanging vines and late summer flowers. But I just have to check if it's the proper size."

"That's nice," Tony said as he passed. "Have fun!" Then to Matilde, "He still has lousy timing. I don't think I want to go to the library anymore."

"No," Matilde agreed. "It's getting late anyway."

They walked to Matilde's room. And outside her door they stopped and kissed again, deeper and more insistently now. They clung together for some time, their hands starting to move over each other on little quests of exploration. Tony wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything.

He pulled away slightly and said, "I don't want to say good night."

"I don't either," she said.

And they kissed again.

After dinner, Wendell brought Rose to his suite of rooms. One part was a bedroom and the other was an enormous sitting room. The sitting room had been done up with romantic lighting and a table in front of the fire. On the table was a bottle of champagne, two glasses and a small velvet box.

Wendell sat Rose down onto a deep easy chair with tapestry style upholstery. Then he picked up the velvet box on the table and got down on one knee. "I have a special present for you." he said. "On the battlefield I couldn't give you a proper engagement ring. This used to belong to my mother. After she died, my father set it aside for me to one day give to my wife." He opened the box and inside was a silver ring with rubies all around it. "I'm sure if my parents had met you, they would've loved you." He took it out and put it on her finger.

"It's beautiful," she said. "I'll wear it proudly." And she ran her hand through his curly blond hair and kissed him, as he knelt before her.

It was way into the wee hours of the morning and the rest of the castle was sleeping when Matilde awoke to find Tony lying in bed watching her. She expected to find him there, of course. He'd been there when she'd gone to sleep. But she didn't expect him to be awake. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Can't you sleep?"

"No. And I just thought I'd take this opportunity to watch you sleep. You're pretty well ahead of me there."

"And?" she asked, running her hand along his bare chest.

"You kind of glow in the dark a little."

"All fairies do to some extent. Some races more than others. So, why couldn't you sleep?"

"I was just wondering. What happens now?"

"Right now?"

"You know what I mean. The war's over. Things are pretty well sorted out. What now?"

"For me? I'll probably have to oversee things for the Council for a little while down here."

"And after that? I love you, you know."

"You fall in love very fast, don't you Tony Lewis?"

"I guess so."

"Was it the same with Christine?"

"Yes. And no. I mean, nothing with you is the same. We met because my daughter got whisked off to someplace two hundred years in the past. And we started getting to know each other by sending light signals through a necklace. You still haven't answered my question."

"Did you ask a question?"

"Well, sort of. I just told you I loved you and you didn't say anything."

"Loving me won't be easy, you know."

"So, far it's been the easiest thing I've done in this crazy place."

"There are a lot of differences between us."

"I know. But none of that really matters if we love each other." He paused and waited for her to speak. "That is, if we love each other."

Matilde ran her fingers up to his face and stroked his cheek. "I think I realized I was in love with you on the night you feel asleep outside of Scarlet and Josiah's house and got drenched from the rain."

A little shock of excitement ran through Tony. "Really? I think you caught my attention the first day we met. I was yelling at you because I didn't think you were doing enough to find Virginia and you came nose to nose with me and said, 'I am a fairy, young man. I am NOT God!'"

Matilde laughed. "You had on your angry little boy face then."

Tony took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "So?" he said. "What now?"

"You mean, about us? Well, first I think we should ask Wendell for a bigger room. I, of course, will continue looking out for the affairs of the Council while you work on your boiler and the hydroelectric system for the dwarves. Prince Brutus can look after the Eighth Kingdom. He did that while I was married to Centaurea. Fairies don't actually need much governing. There are so few of us, we pretty much go along our own way. We only have royalty to keep things neat."

"I love you, you know."

"I love you too, Tony Lewis."

With that, Tony threw back the covers and kissed her. Then he pulled her under him and they made love again.


	68. Chapter 68

**CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT**

**Honeymoon At Last**

Virginia and Wolf got up very early the next morning to make the final arrangements for their honeymoon trip. Virginia got suitcases from the chambermaid and packed the things they'd put aside the night before. Wolf got one of the stablemen to make arrangements for a carriage to take them to Kissing Town. The perfect butler helped bring the suitcases down to the great foyer so they could leave as soon as they said their good-byes. Then Virginia spoke to the chef and asked him to pack their breakfast and lunch so they could eat on the way and save time. But she brought out a little package of bacon to her husband so he could nibble till it was time to go.

"Oh, thank you," Wolf said, grabbing the bacon and gobbling it down. "I was famished."

"I had a feeling you would be."

As they were standing in the hallway, Lord Rupert came by with his sleeves rolled up and several materials in various shades of green, flung over his shoulder. "Oh, good morning, Prince and Princess!" Rupert said, jovially.

"You're up early," Virginia noted.

"Oh, I have to be. Prince Wendell announced his wedding last night and I am the lucky chap who's in charge of everything. It's wonderful! Except that I have less than three weeks to get it all done. Princess Rose wants the wedding to take place just before the full moon."

Virginia and Wolf tried not to smirk, but it didn't matter. Lord Rupert was too involved with his green materials to notice their expressions.

"I want to use green as the secondary color," Rupert said. "But I'm not sure which is best. I've got olive, forest, emerald, and apple green. I'm just on my way to see which one matches up best to the tapestry from the library. I put it up in the ballroom last night."

"Oh, I think the olive green," Virginia said.

"Do you?" Rupert asked. "I'm kind of leaning toward the emerald myself. But I just don't know."

"Well, we won't keep you," Wolf said. "You look very busy."

"Oh, yes. But I love it. Truly love it. This is the second time that I've had the opportunity to serve your family by arranging a wedding. And… " Rupert moved in closer to Wolf and lowered his voice into a conspiratorial tone. "If the time should come again soon, that you need yet another wedding planned, I hope you'll ask for my help."

Rupert was speaking, of course, of a possible wedding between Tony and Matilde. He had seen things heat up between them recently as Virginia and Wolf had not. And he had seen Tony and Matilde talk to each other incessantly by mirror all the time they were away with the cannon crews. He could smell a wedding coming. But since Virginia and Wolf knew nothing about that yet, they could only exchange confused looks.

"Sure," Wolf said. "We'll do that."

"Oh! Thank you!" Rupert said eagerly. "What a feather in my cap that will be! I know the whole of the Nine Kingdoms will come out for that one. Everyone will see my work! For that I'm thinking two secondary colors, a combination of gold and silver. What do you think?"

Wolf and Virginia exchanged another look.

"I'm sure silver and gold would be find," Virginia said.

"Oh, so do I! Now I hope you don't mind, but I've got to fly. So much to do today, just so much." And Rupert took off toward the ballroom with a pronounced clippity clip.

"What was that all about?" Virginia asked.

"Who knows!" Wolf said, waving it off. With him it could be anything."

While Wolf was packing their luggage in the carriage, Wendell and his bride-to-be came down for breakfast. Virginia ran to embrace Rose immediately while Wendell stopped to receive congratulations from a couple of other people.

"Wolf told me," Virginia said, to her sister-in-law. "I think it's wonderful!"

"I'm just so happy," Rose said. "And look, Wendell gave me my engagement ring last night. It was his mother's."

Virginia looked admiringly at the ring with its circle of rubies. "It's beautiful."

"Will you help me pick out my wedding dress?"

"Oh, I can't," Virginia said. "I would, but we're finally leaving on our honeymoon today. We just stuck around long enough to say goodbye to you and my Dad."

"Well, it's about time you had a honeymoon," Rose said. "But you better be back in time for the wedding."

"We wouldn't miss it."

"Will you be my matron of honor?"

"I'd love to," Virginia said. "You're finally going to be Cinderella and marry the prince."

"What?"

"Oh," Virginia said, wiping away a little tear. "It was just one of your favorite stories when you were a little girl."

Rose laughed. "It sounds so strange to hear you say that! Look, when everything settles down, you've got to tell me everything that happened in the past from your point of view. I already got Wolf's side of things."

"Of course. We'll have lunch and I'll tell you everything."

The two women embraced again as Wolf appeared.

"I hear you two made it official last night," Wolf said.

Rose threw her arms around her brother and showed him her ring. "Yes, isn't it wonderful!"

"Yes," Wolf said. "And the ring's nice too. Even if it can't sing."

At that point, Wendell came over and joined the group. "Wolf," he said, with a proper clearing of the throat, "I'd very much like it if you would be my best man."

"Mm, seems fair, since you did the same for me."

"Oh, but you've got to give me away," Rose said.

Wolf shook his head. "I don't really think that's quite proper for a brother. I'd feel kind of funny."

"What about my Dad?" Virginia said. "I'm sure he'd love to do it."

"That's a great idea!" Rose said. "I'll ask him after breakfast."

"Which I fear we've got to get to right away," Wendell said. "I have a meeting afterwards with a group of noblemen. And the Chancellor always gets so upset when I'm late."

"All right," Rose said.

"Have a good honeymoon!" Wendell said. "And make sure you're back in plenty of time." And with that, he steered Rose in the general direction of the diningroom. But it was slow going as other well wishers overflowing with congratulations stopped them.

"They seem very happy," Wolf observed.

"Yes, very."

"I'll just fetch the lunch basket from the kitchen and we'll be on our way."

"No," Virginia said. "We still haven't said goodbye to Daddy."

"Right." He had promised himself that he would try to be more cordial to his father-in-law. It wouldn't be right to run off without saying goodbye to him. "I'll take my time then and stop for a little more bacon. You want anything?"

"No, I'll wait till we're on the road."

Wolf went off to the kitchen and a couple minutes later, Tony came down the main stairway.

"Dad!" Virginia said, flagging him down.

Tony came over to her at once. "Honey! How are you doing?" he said. "We missed you last night at dinner. Did you hear the news about Rose and Wendell?"

"Yes. Rose asked me to be matron of honor. And Wendell asked Wolf to be the best man. Now don't tell anyone, but if you play your cards right you might get to give the bride away."

"That would be quite an honor," Tony said.

"Just don't tell Rose I told you. She wants to ask you herself."

"Did you have breakfast yet? I was just on my way to meet Matilde in the dining room. She went down earlier to Wendell's office to handle the morning dispatches."

"You don't have to tell me about those early morning dispatches," Virginia said, with a big sigh. "I did more than my share of those, coming downstairs half-asleep before the sun had even come up. Sorry we can't join you for breakfast, though. Wolf and I are leaving for our long awaited honeymoon this morning."

"You are?" Tony asked, looking a little distracted. He was thinking he couldn't let them go till he'd told Virginia how serious things were getting between him and Matilde. "That's wonderful. How long will you be gone?"

"Till just before Rose and Wendell's wedding. Wolf and I have a lot of catching up to do. We're planning on going to Kissing Town first for a few days. Then we'll travel around a bit from there."

"That sounds wonderful. But, Honey, there's one thing I wanted to speak with you about before you go."

"What?"

"It's about me and Matilde. You see, I think it's getting kind of serious between us and…"

"Now, Dad. You haven't gone and fallen for her?"

"As a matter of fact I have and I know she feels the same about me."

Virginia shook her head. She still thought her father was under some kind of delusion. "Yeah, well. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't get hurt. I know she loves me."

"She's fond of you, sure," Virginia said as though she were talking to a child. "She did a lot for all three of us. But, that doesn't mean she's in love with you."

"Look, a lot has happened that you don't know about."

"Dad, I'd be really happy if things worked out for you. But I just don't want you burying yourself in these delusions and getting hurt. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and you can let me know if she's really started noticing you by the time I get back." Virginia tidied her father's tie for him in the same disparaging way she used to tidy his uniform when he worked as a janitor in their old apartment building.

Tony knew she wasn't hearing him. Maybe he'd have to wait till she and Wolf got back. But at the rate things were going, he and Matilde would be planning their wedding by then.

"Get back?" Matilde said, coming over. She had just been coming out of the King's study and seen them engrossed in a father/daughter conversation. She knew what it was about. From the way Virginia had tidied her father's tie, Matilde was pretty sure that the girl still wasn't ready to hear about their relationship. It had been easier to see her father flitting about childishly through brief relationships than to think about him getting involved seriously. Ah, young people! They think they're the only ones who can fall in love and have sex. "Where are you going?"

"We're finally leaving on our honeymoon," Virginia said. "Kissing Town first and then a little trip around the Fourth Kingdom."

"It sounds perfect."

"But we'll be back in time for Rose's wedding."

"I've got the lunch basket," Wolf said, dragging a gigantic basket up to them that would easily have fed several people. "They had this tiny little lunch made up and I made them give us something bigger." He came to a stop next to Matilde and stood up straight with a big, "Whew! That's our breakfast and our lunch."

"That's all?" Matilde said with a laugh. "Virginia tells us you're leaving on your honeymoon."

"Right away," Wolf said.

"I'd like to thank the two of you once again for all you did for the Nine Kingdoms," Matilde said, reaching for Wolf's hand first and then Virginia's.

As Matilde took Wolf's hand, he let his head fall to one side and he gazed at her strangely.

"Oh, it was nothing," Virginia said. "We're getting used to long quests."

Wolf walked behind Matilde and sniffed. Then he walked around Tony and sniffed. When he came to a stop, his jaw dropped open and he was simply speechless. He knew Tony and Matilde had spent the night together, just as he had known Rose and Wendell had.

"Well," Virginia said, grabbing Wolf's arm. She didn't know what his problem was. But she was afraid he was going to say or do something even more embarrassing. "Take the basket," she told Wolf.

When Wolf had trouble getting a hold of himself long enough to get a hold of the basket, Tony moved in and took it for him.

"I'll do it," Tony said. And he led the way through the great foyer to the top of the stairs that led into the castle.

"Now, Matilde, you take care of my father," Virginia said, still leading her husband along.

"Oh, I'm sure she will," Wolf said, with a sheepish grin.

"Dad gets these funny ideas sometimes," Virginia continued. "But he means well."

"Virginia," Wolf whispered.

"He thinks very highly of you, you know. It would mean a lot to him if you could spend some time with him."

"Oh, Virginia," Wolf whined.

"I mean, before you go back north."

They had reached the top of the castle steps by then and had caught up with Tony. He handed off the lunch basket to the coachman, who carried it to the coach and put it inside.

"Well," Tony said, turning to embrace his daughter and shake Wolf's hand. "Take care, you two. Be careful and don't get caught up in any stray traveling dust again."

"We'll try not to," Virginia said. She gave Matilde a perfunctory kiss and said. "It was so nice meeting you. Remember what I said, now."

"Oh, Virginia," Wolf said, grabbing her hand and dragging her down the stairs. "Don't bother Queen Matilde anymore."

"But I was just saying goodbye."'

"Yes. And you said it long enough. Goodbye," Wolf said with a big wave.

Tony waved back and smiled. "What was the matter with him?" he said under his breath to Matilde.

She was smiling and waving too. "I think he knows about us."

"Really? I couldn't get Virginia to believe me."

"I know. She was just giving me a speech about how much you admired me and maybe I could let you spend a little time with me."

They turned to go back into the castle as Virginia and Wolf fell to discussing something as they got into the carriage.

"But how could Wolf suddenly know about us?" Tony asked.

"It would be a bit indelicate for me to explain," Matilde said.

From below they heard Virginia call out very loudly, "They WHAT?"

Tony and Matilde exchanged a look.

"But I'm very sure he knows about us," Matilde said.

The coachman signaled to the horses and Wolf and Virginia's carriage started on its way toward Kissing Town.

"They'll get used to the idea by the time they get back," Tony said, offering his arm to Matilde.

And they all lived happily ever after…Until their next adventure.

**- THE END -**


End file.
